Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has extended an olive branch to US President Donald Trump, proposing serious talks on combating drug trafficking and offering US companies immediate access to Venezuelan oil.
President Maduro said Venezuela is a “brother country” and a friendly government to the United States. He noted that when he last spoke with Trump in November, Trump acknowledged his authority by calling him “Mr. President.”
The longtime Venezuelan strongman spoke in an interview filmed on New Year’s Eve and aired on Venezuelan state television on New Year’s Day night.
The broadcast shows Maduro and his interviewer walking through a military zone in the capital, Caracas. President Maduro then takes control of the car with journalists in the passenger seat and first lady Cilia Flores in the back seat. Commentators interpreted the gesture as an attempt to project confidence amid fears of a U.S. attack, even though Maduro has reduced his public appearances in recent weeks.
The comments represent a change in Maduro’s tone toward the United States since he launched a major military buildup in the southern Caribbean. President Trump has accused the “illegitimate” Maduro of running a narco-state and threatened to remove him from power.
President Maduro has strongly denied any links to the crime and said the United States was seeking to oust him for control of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves and rare earth deposits.
At an event just before Christmas, President Maduro urged President Trump to focus on domestic issues, saying, “Honestly, if I could talk to him again, I would say that every single person should pay attention to domestic affairs.”
In his latest remarks, President Maduro told an interviewer: “To the American people, I say what I always say: Venezuela is a brotherly country and a friendly government.
“Given the facts, we have to start talking seriously. The U.S. government has told our interlocutors many times that if they want to talk seriously about an agreement to combat drug trafficking, we are ready to do that. If they want Venezuelan oil, Venezuela is ready to accept U.S. investments like Chevron anytime, anywhere, and in any way.”
(Reporting by Corina Pons; Additional reporting by Emma Pinedo; Writing by Aislinn Laing; Editing by Ros Russell)
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