Boston Globe Cites Heine on the Seizure of Venezuelan Tanker
Journalist Camille Bugayong and Correspondent Rita Chandler co-authored an article for the Boston Globe titled Lawmakers, experts warn of ‘uncharted waters’ as US reportedly seizes Venezuelan tanker, on December 10, 2025, citing Ambassador Jorge Heine’s take on what the seizure means for rising US-Venezuelan tensions. The article responds President Trump’s declaration that the US has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela earlier this week. Experts shared their thoughts on social media, stating the action leads to an uncertain, and dangerous, future for the two countries.
The authors reference Heine to contextualize the conflict, “[Heine] views the seizure as the Trump administration ‘upping the ante’ because previous attempts to pressure for regime change in Venezuela have been ineffective.” While scholars have suspected previous actions from Washington may lead to a crescendo, this feels like a further escalation. Heine is quoted saying,
My sense is that the Trump administration finds itself at a bit of a loss… The approach of sinking ships and killing alleged drug smugglers… it hasn’t produced the expected effects. The regime still stands. So they’re upping the ante.
The Trump administration has credited drug smuggling from Venezuela as the reason for the presence of US military and Navy around the region, however this has been debunked by many experts including Ambassador Heine. Instead, many look to Venezuela’s large oil reserves and wish for the removal of President Maduro as the motivators. The removal of Maduro creates a high risk of civil war in the country, which may spread chaos in Latin America. Experts such as Luis Jimenez, a political science professor at UMass Boston, warn that Washington should have a plan in place if this were to be the case. The full article can be read here.
A former research professor at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, Jorge Heine is a diplomat, international relations scholar, and lawyer. He has served as an ambassador of Chile to China, India, and South Africa. Heine has written over fifteen books, including The Non-Aligned World: Striking Out in an Era of Great Power Competition (2025), which provides insights on how the Global South can navigate the changing diplomatic landscape amid the U.S.-China rivalry.