Quick reads
- Nicolás Maduro said Venezuela is ready for “serious” talks with the U.S. on drug trafficking and oil.
- He invited U.S. investment in Venezuela’s oil sector, including companies such as Chevron.
- Maduro declined to confirm reports of a recent U.S. (CIA-linked) strike on a dock in Venezuela and said he might discuss it later.
- The comments came in a New Year’s interview broadcast on state television amid an intensified U.S. campaign targeting alleged drug-trafficking sites.
The story
What happened
In a New Year’s interview broadcast on Venezuelan state television, President Nicolás Maduro said he is willing to hold “serious” talks with the United States on issues such as drug trafficking and oil investment. At the same time, he declined to confirm reports that U.S. forces — reportedly including a CIA drone operation — struck a docking area in Venezuela said by U.S. officials to have been used by drug traffickers. Reporters and news agencies have described the remarks as a conciliatory tone amid escalating tensions.
Where it happened
The interview was recorded as Maduro’s annual New Year’s exchange with a Spanish journalist and was carried by Venezuelan state media. The reporting and broadcast took place around the turn of the year and reached a national audience via state television.
How it happened
Maduro’s comments came in a pre-taped, wide-ranging interview that addressed U.S. pressure on Venezuela — including sanctions, naval operations and alleged strikes targeting drug-trafficking networks. When asked directly about the reported strike on a dock, he refused to confirm it and said the matter “could be something we talk about in a few days.” U.S. officials and some media outlets have reported a CIA-linked drone operation; Maduro and Venezuelan authorities have not publicly confirmed the strike.
Key quotes
“We must start to speak seriously, with the facts in hand,” Maduro said, inviting dialogue on drug control and oil investment.
Asked about the reported strike, Maduro said he would reserve comment for the near future and stressed Venezuela’s “national defensive system” had protected the country’s territorial integrity.
Context and significance
The exchange comes during a period of stepped-up U.S. pressure that the U.S. administration says targets drug traffickers operating in and from Venezuelan waters. Washington has also imposed sanctions and taken actions affecting Venezuelan oil exports. Maduro framed the U.S. campaign as an effort to seize Venezuela’s resources, while offering conditional openness to cooperation a notable rhetorical shift given months of confrontation. Journalistic accounts of any on-the-ground U.S. strike rely on unnamed sources; Maduro’s refusal to confirm means the specific details of that reported operation remain publicly unverified.
