Venezuela: Maduro celebrates the arrival of the first Iranian oil tanker

President Nicolas Maduro celebrated the arrival of the first of five tankers Iran sent him to Venezuela on Sunday and warned that the country would never "kneel" before Washington, which condemns the delivery of 'hydrocarbons. "The Fortune ship has arrived, it is the first of five ships that bring gasoline and products to make gasoline in Venezuela," said the Socialist president during a televised address transmitted by the television State VTV.

Maduro praised the good relations between Venezuela and Iran. "We are two peaceful peoples who want our development, two rebel peoples, two revolutionary peoples, who will never kneel before American imperialism , " said the president.

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At the announcement of the Iranian tankers' departure for Venezuela, senior officials of the American administration expressed their "concern" over " Iran's increasingly important role" in Venezuela. Tehran has warned in recent days of "consequences" if the United States prevented by naval maneuvers the delivery of Iranian petroleum products to Venezuela, where fuel shortages have worsened with the coronavirus pandemic.

Maduro reaffirmed in his speech the right of Venezuela to receive these tankers, which according to press reports transport a total of 1.5 million barrels of petroleum products. "We have the right to trade freely, to trade products, to buy products, to sell products," he said.

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The United States calls Nicolas Maduro a "dictator" and considers his power to be illegitimate. Followed by fifty countries, in 2019 they recognized as Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president. But Venezuela remains supported by other countries such as Iran, Russia, China, Turkey and Cuba.