Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro says he is open to dialogue with the United States on issues ranging from drug trafficking to oil and migration, signalling a possible de-escalation after weeks of rising tensions.
Speaking on state television Thursday, Maduro declared he was ready for talks “wherever they want and whenever they want.”
His comments followed an aggressive US campaign against vessels suspected of smuggling narcotics through the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.
According to official figures, US forces have carried out more than 30 strikes in three months, leaving over 110 people dead. The latest incident occurred Wednesday when two boats were struck, killing five people.
Tensions spiked earlier this week after President Donald Trump claimed US forces attacked a Venezuelan docking facility linked to drug smuggling, causing a “major explosion.”
US media, citing unnamed sources, reported the blast was the result of a CIA drone strike. If confirmed, it would mark the first known US operation inside Venezuelan territory.
Asked to confirm or deny, Maduro avoided a direct answer. “It is something we could talk about in a few days,” he said.
Maduro also signalled openness to talks on oil and migration. Washington has tightened enforcement against sanctioned Venezuelan shipments, seizing two tankers and pursuing a third.
The US accused the vessels of transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. Caracas dismissed the seizures as “international piracy.”
Trump’s administration has framed the actions as part of a “war on drugs.” But legal experts question whether the operations comply with international law, noting the US has yet to provide public evidence that the targeted vessels carried narcotics.
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