Venezuela’s state oil company is still struggling to restore key administrative systems after what it called a cyberattack that hit over the weekend.
Petroleos de Venezuela SA’s network, which manages export and import data at the country’s main crude terminal of Jose, remained offline Monday after the breach early Saturday. The outage has delayed scheduled loadings and forced contingency measures across the company, according to three people familiar with the situation.
PDVSA told staff to shut down computers, disconnect external hardware and cut off WiFi and Starlink connections, the people said, citing an internal memo seen by Bloomberg. Security at company facilities has also been reinforced since Sunday.
In a statement Monday, the company said it had neutralized a “sabotage attempt” aimed at disrupting its operations. It added that oil output wasn’t affected. A PDVSA press official didn’t immediately respond to questions.
President Nicolás Maduro has frequently accused the US of orchestrating cyberattacks and other forms of sabotage. He also blamed a hack he said originated in Macedonia for delaying the tally of last year’s presidential election.
In October, President Donald Trump said he authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to undertake covert action in Venezuela to curb drug shipments and illegal migration into the US. Since early September, the US has struck nearly two dozen boats in the southern Caribbean, saying they were carrying narcotics bound for the US.
The operations have heightened tensions with Maduro and fueled speculation that Washington may be preparing broader military action in Venezuela. Last week, the US seized a sanctioned oil tanker carrying a load of Venezuelan crude.
Years of limited maintenance have further eroded PDVSA’s administrative networks, making them more susceptible to breaches, the people said. The company also lost key software licenses after US sanctions barred dealings with American tech providers. While PDVSA has endured website hacks before, none have dragged on as long as the current disruption, one person said.
The internal document instructed personnel not to restart or use any devices without guidance, warning that the company hasn’t ruled out the possibility that information was compromised.
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