The President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, avoided confirming or denying, during an interview on Thursday (1), an alleged attack on a drug trafficking center which, according to Donald Trump, was carried out by American forces on Venezuelan territory. At the same time, he was open to dialogue with Washington.
Earlier this week, the US president said his country’s forces had destroyed a docking area for ships allegedly used to transport drugs to Venezuela, in what would be Washington’s first attack on Venezuelan territory.
“This could be a topic of conversation in a few days,” Maduro told Spanish journalist Ignacio Ramonet, who asked for details after recalling that the Venezuelan government “has neither confirmed nor denied the information.”
The United States sent a military flotilla to the Caribbean in August and bombed nearly 30 ships, killing more than 100 people. Caracas denounces that the maneuvers aim to overthrow Maduro’s government.
Trump warned in November that he would launch ground attacks in Venezuela and authorized CIA operations in the South American country.
“What I can tell you is that the national defensive system has guaranteed and guarantees territorial integrity, peace in the country and the use and enjoyment of all our territories. Our people are safe and at peace. I can tell you something about that,” Maduro said in the interview.
Given the lack of details on the location of the operation from the United States, speculation on social media suggests that a fire in the Maracaibo (west) warehouses of Primazol, a company in the chemical sector, could be linked to the attack.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro fueled rumors by saying that “Trump had bombed a factory in Maracaibo” in which, according to him, “coca paste is mixed to make cocaine.”
“President Petro, not here, we do not package or manufacture any type of narcotics,” replied the company’s director, Eduardo Siu.
Dialogue and agreements?
Maduro reiterated his willingness to engage with the United States, after confirming that he had not spoken to Trump since a November 21 phone call, which he considered “cordial and respectful.”
The details of that call have not been revealed by either party, but Trump has since stepped up the pressure by unofficially closing Venezuela’s airspace, imposing more sanctions and ordering the seizure of sanctioned ships carrying Venezuelan oil.
“I think the conversation was pleasant, but the developments following the conversation were not pleasant. Let’s wait,” he commented.
Maduro confirmed his desire to conclude agreements with the United States, particularly in the areas of oil, migration and the fight against drug trafficking.
“If (the United States) wants to talk seriously about an agreement to fight drug trafficking, we are ready,” he said, before proposing an oil pact “for American investments, like with Chevron.” “Where they want and how they want,” he said.
He also proposed the resumption of an agreement for the expulsion of undocumented Venezuelans on direct flights from the United States to Venezuela, which Maduro said was unilaterally canceled by Washington three weeks ago.
“They are talking about the migration issue, but they are the ones who suspended the migration agreement (…) If ever there is rationality and diplomacy, this could perfectly be discussed,” he declared.
Release of detainees during post-election protests
Hours before the interview, the Ministry of Prison Service announced the release of 88 people detained during the protests that took place after the re-election of Nicolas Maduro in 2024 in Venezuela, which the opposition denounced as fraudulent and during which it claimed the victory of its candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia.
Maduro’s re-election sparked protests that left 28 people dead and 2,400 detained. Since then, Venezuelan justice has released more than 2,000 detainees, according to official figures.
Faced with this group of 88 people, the government released 99 others as a precaution on December 25, even if NGOs like Foro Penal, which defends “political prisoners” in court, were only able to verify 61 cases on that date.
Several organizations estimate that the country still has more than 700 people detained for political reasons. These releases coincide with increased pressure from the United States.
“Despite the context of permanent harassment against the Nation, the Venezuelan State guarantees people deprived of their liberty dignified treatment, respect for their human rights and their full attention,” says the Ministry of Penitentiary Service in a press release.
With AFP
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