According to the New York Times, the US intelligence services (CIA) carried out a drone attack last week against a port facility
The President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, said that the Venezuelan defense system guarantees the country’s territorial integrity, when asked about an alleged ground attack by the United States, which he neither confirmed nor denied.
“The national defense system, which combines popular, military and police forces, guaranteed and continues to guarantee the territorial integrity, peace of the country and the use and enjoyment of our entire territory,” said Maduro.
“Our people are safe and at peace,” added the head of state, in an interview broadcast by Venezuelan public broadcaster VTV on Thursday night.
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, stated on Monday that the United States destroyed a docking area used by ships accused of involvement in drug trafficking in Venezuela.
According to the New York Times, the US intelligence services (CIA) carried out a drone attack last week against a port facility, although the Government of Caracas has not yet commented.
Questioned by Franco-Spanish intellectual Ignacio Ramonet about the alleged attack, Maduro was evasive.
“This may be an issue we discuss within a few days. We can certainly discuss it within a few days,” he simply commented.
In the same interview, Maduro declared that he is ready to discuss issues related to drug trafficking, oil and economic agreements with the United States.
“The United States Government knows this, because we have already told many of its spokespeople: if they want to seriously discuss an agreement to combat drug trafficking, we are ready. If they want oil from Venezuela, Venezuela is ready for North American investments, as happened with Chevron, when they want, where they want and how they want”, he stated.
The Venezuelan leader also said that he had “just one conversation” with Trump, in an attempt to clarify speculations, after an alleged new phone call “very recently” mentioned by the North American leader.
“I was seeing speculation about a second conversation. We had (…) just one conversation. He called me on Friday, November 21, from the White House. And I was at the Miraflores Palace”, he reported.
Last Monday, Trump stated that he had spoken “very recently” with Maduro, but that the conversation was not productive in relieving pressure from Washington authorities on Venezuela.
The United States has maintained a military deployment in the Caribbean Sea, close to Venezuelan waters, since August, to combat drug trafficking, but the Venezuelan Government considers this to be a pretext to seek regime change.
Tension between Caracas and Washington increased after Trump announced a ban on the entry and exit of all sanctioned oil tankers from Venezuela and the seizure of two ships carrying Venezuelan crude in recent weeks.
