Dominican President refutes Diosdado Cabello’s claims

The Dominican Republic government said on Monday that under President Luis Abinader the country has not imported “even half a gallon” of oil from Venezuela, in response to Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello’s claims that the Caribbean nation owes the country $350 million for that concept.

“We have not bought even half a gallon of oil from Venezuela since I became president,” Abinader said at his usual Monday press conference at the National Palace.

The president’s statements were expanded by the president of the Dominican Petroleum Refinery (Refidomsa), Leonardo Aguilera, who said that the last “significant” purchase by the country from Venezuela took place on December 12, 2015.

After that, according to Aguilera, there was an import of diesel from Venezuela on February 20, 2017, “three years before we took over the government,” in 2020.

He revealed that “two years ago” the then president of the state-owned Petróleos de Venezuela Sociedad Anónima (Pdvsa), Asdrúbal Chávez, headed an official delegation from his country that met with him and other Dominican officials, but that no agreement was reached in those meetings, without specifying what the discussions were about.

“Then, we went to Venezuela and in no case was any agreement reached,” Aguilera said.

Abinader responded with a “no comment” to Cabello’s criticism of him and his government on Monday.

Deterioration of relations

Relations between the two countries have deteriorated since Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro ordered on July 29 the “immediate” withdrawal of his diplomatic representatives from the Dominican Republic, Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Panama, Peru, and Uruguay, following criticism from these nations of the Venezuelan electoral process held the day before.

The Venezuelan National Electoral Council declared victory to Nicolás Maduro, a result that was later confirmed by the Supreme Court of Justice.

On that occasion, the Venezuelan leader described as “interventionist” the statements of those countries that demanded a complete review of the voting records of the elections.

The tension between the Dominican Republic and Venezuela deepened even further when the United States government confiscated a plane in Dominican territory last week that it claims Maduro used for international travel.

According to the US Department of Justice, the aircraft was illegally purchased for $13 million through a shell company and smuggled out of the United States for use by Maduro.

A statement from the agency said the transaction violated an executive order issued by the U.S. in 2019 that prohibits Americans from engaging in transactions with persons who have acted or intend to act directly or indirectly for or on behalf of the Venezuelan government, including as members of the Maduro regime.

The Dominican government said the handover of the plane was ordered by the country’s courts, following requests made by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.