Breaking Barriers: Maduro Signals Willingness for US-Venezuela Dialogue

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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has dodged a question about an alleged attack on a dock in Venezuela but said he was open to cooperation with the United States after weeks of military pressure.

“Wherever they want and whenever they want,” Maduro said of the idea of dialogue with the US on drug trafficking, oil and migration in an interview on state TV on Thursday.

Maduro’s government has neither confirmed nor denied what US President Donald Trump announced Monday: a US attack on a docking facility that allegedly served Venezuelan drug trafficking boats.

Asked point-blank if he confirmed or denied the attack, Maduro said on Thursday: “This could be something we talk about in a few days.”

The reported assault would mark the initial known ground operation in the U.S. military’s efforts to combat drug trafficking originating from Latin America.

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“Our citizens remain secure and at peace,” a statement read, emphasizing the government’s commitment to safety.

Meanwhile, Colombian President Gustavo Petro fueled rumours about the location of the attack, saying “Trump bombed a factory in Maracaibo” where “they mix coca paste to make cocaine”.

That led some to speculate on social media that a fire at wholesale chemical distributor Primazol’s warehouses in Maracaibo may have been related to the attack.

Carlos Eduardo Siu, head of Primazol, dismissed the allegations, asserting, “President Petro, this is not the case here—our operations do not involve the packaging or production of any narcotics.”

Maduro ready to ‘talk seriously about an agreement’

Maduro said he has not spoken to Trump since a conversation they had on 12 November, which he described as cordial and respectful.

“I think that conversation was even pleasant, but since then the evolution has not been pleasant. Let’s wait,” he said.

“If they want to talk seriously about an agreement to fight drug trafficking, we are ready,” the Venezuelan leader said.

The Trump administration has accused Maduro of heading a drug cartel and says it is cracking down on trafficking, but the leftist leader denies any involvement in the narcotics trade, saying the US seeks a coup because Venezuela has the largest known reserves of oil on Earth.

For weeks, Trump has threatened ground strikes on drug cartels in the region, saying they would start “soon”, but this is the first apparent example.

US forces have also carried out numerous strikes on boats in both the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean since September, targeting what the US says are drug smugglers.

The deadly maritime campaign has killed at least 107 people in at least 30 strikes, according to information released by the US military.

However, the administration has provided no evidence that the targeted boats were involved in drug trafficking, prompting debate about the legality of these operations.