The U.S. has intensified economic pressure on Venezuela by ordering a naval quarantine of its oil for two months, following the seizure of two oil tankers. This action aims to further strain Venezuela's already weakened economy, which, despite holding the world's largest proven oil reserves, faces production challenges due to the nature of its crude, underinvestment, mismanagement, and lack of technical expertise within its state-run oil company, PDVSA. Production has significantly declined since the 1980s.