Venezuela Open To Negotiation With US To Combat Drug Trafficking: President Maduro

Venezuela is open to negotiating an agreement with the United States to combat drug trafficking, the South American country’s President Nicolás Maduro said in a pre-taped interview aired Thursday on state television.

In an interview with Spanish journalist Ignacio Ramonet, Maduro said “the U.S. government knows" where Venezuela stands because Caracas has "told many of their spokespeople".

"If they want to seriously discuss an agreement to combat drug trafficking, we’re ready,” Marduro said.

“If they want oil, Venezuela is ready for U.S. investment, like with Chevron, whenever they want it, wherever they want it and however they want it," he added.

Venezuela has the world’s largest proven oil reserves and Chevron Corp. is the only major oil company exporting Venezuelan crude to the U.S..

The interview was taped on New Year’s Eve, the same day the U.S. military announced strikes against five alleged drug-smuggling boats.

The latest attacks bring the total number of known boat strikes to 35 and the number of people killed to at least 115, according to numbers announced by the Trump administration. Venezuelans are among the victims.

President Donald Trump has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and asserted that the U.S. is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels.

The strikes began off Venezuela’s Caribbean coast and later expanded to the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Meanwhile, the CIA was behind a drone strike last week at a docking area believed to have been used by Venezuelan drug cartels, according to two people familiar with details of the operation who requested anonymity to discuss the classified matter.

It was the first known direct operation on Venezuelan soil since the boat strikes began, a significant escalation in the administration’s pressure campaign on Maduro, who has been charged with narco-terrorism in the U.S.