VENEZUELA is ready to discuss an agreement with the United States to combat drug trafficking, but it must be a serious discussion, President Nicolas Maduro said.
“The US government knows this because we’ve told many of its representatives that if they want to seriously discuss an agreement to combat drug trafficking, we’re ready,” Maduro said in an interview with journalist Ignacio Ramonet on Thursday.
The US justifies its military presence in the Caribbean region by the fight against drug trafficking. Since early September, US President Donald Trump has authorized a number of strikes targeting alleged drug trafficking vessels off Venezuela’s coasts. In November, Trump expressed the opinion that Maduro’s days as Venezuela’s leader were numbered, while saying that Washington had no plans to go to war with Caracas.
According to Sputnik Globe, Maduro also linked the issue of drug trafficking to broader geopolitical tensions. He accused Washington of using counternarcotics operations as a pretext to expand military influence in Latin America, particularly in waters near Venezuela.
Maduro stressed that Venezuela has already cooperated with regional partners such as Colombia and Brazil on anti drug measures, and argued that any agreement with the US should respect Venezuela’s sovereignty. Sputnik Globe further reported that Maduro suggested the US could benefit from direct cooperation with Venezuelan authorities rather than unilateral military actions.
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