Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said he was ready to hold talks with the United States on issues such as drug trafficking, oil and migration, following rising tensions between the two countries.
According to foreign media, Maduro said he is open to dialogue “anytime and anywhere.” He avoided direct comment on US President Donald Trump’s claims of a US attack on an oil facility in Venezuela, which was reportedly carried out by the CIA.
The statements come as the US has intensified operations against ships suspected of drug trafficking in the region and taken measures against oil tankers linked to Venezuela. Washington has justified these actions as part of the war on narcotics trafficking.
In total, there have been more than 30 attacks on ships as part of the Trump administration's "war on drugs," with more than 110 people killed since the US carried out its first attack on a ship in international waters on September 2.
