Caracas: Venezuela is open to talks with the US on cooperation to counter drug trafficking, President Nicolas Maduro said in a prerecorded interview aired Thursday on state television. Maduro expressed readiness for dialogue, stating willingness to engage 'whenever they want it, wherever they want it and however they want it.'
According to Anadolu Agency, Maduro accused Washington of pursuing regime changes in Venezuela, suggesting that the goal is to control the country's vast oil resources through a pressure campaign. He asserted that the US seeks to impose its will through threats and intimidation, and emphasized the need for serious discussions between the two nations with data in hand.
Maduro highlighted that the US government has been informed of Venezuela's readiness to discuss an agreement to combat drug trafficking. The interview was taped on New Year's Eve, coinciding with the US military's announcement of strikes against five alleged drug-smuggling boats.
The recent attacks have increased the total number of known boat strikes to 35, with at least 115 people killed, as per the Trump administration's announcements. Venezuelans are among those affected. Maduro, however, declined to comment on reports of a CIA-led strike on a Venezuelan docking area reportedly used by drug cartels.