Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro declared on Thursday his willingness to talk with the United States about drug trafficking and oil investments, after weeks of a growing pressure campaign against his government.

In a pre-recorded interview with state television In an interview with Venezuelan broadcaster Telesur, which President Maduro granted to Spanish journalist Ignacio Ramonet—former director of Le Monde Diplomatique and current editorial advisor for Telesur—Maduro stated his willingness to engage in dialogue with the US “wherever and whenever they want.” “We need to start talking seriously, with facts in hand, and the US government knows this, because we have told many of its spokespeople, that if they want to talk seriously about an agreement to combat drug trafficking, we are ready,” the Venezuelan president said. Over the past three months, US forces have been attacking vessels suspected of smuggling narcotics through the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific. In total, there have been more than 30 attacks on vessels as part of the Trump administration's “war on drugs,” with more than 110 deaths since the US carried out its first attack on a vessel in international waters on [date missing]. September 2.

The most recent attack occurred on Wednesday, when two boats allegedly carrying drugs were attacked, killing five people on board, according to the US military.

Maduro's interview comes on the same day that the Venezuelan government announced the release of 88 people detained after the July 28 elections last year, which the opposition denounced as fraudulent, and a week after another 99 people were released on Christmas Day.

“Big explosion”

On Monday, Trump claimed that the US had carried out an attack against a “port area” linked to alleged Venezuelan drug trafficking ships, which caused a “large explosion."According to CNN and the New York Times, the operation was carried out with CIA drones, according to sources close to the operation. If confirmed, it would be the first known US action inside Venezuela. But Maduro was evasive in the interview. When asked if he could confirm or deny the attack, Maduro responded: "We could talk about this in a few days."

“What I can tell you is that our national defense system, which combines popular, military, and police forces, has guaranteed and continues to guarantee territorial integrity, the peace of the country, and the use and enjoyment of all our territories. And our people are safe and at peace.”

In addition to drug trafficking, Maduro also expressed openness to dialogue on oil and migration.

“If they want Venezuelan oil, Venezuela is ready for US investments, like with Chevron, whenever they want, wherever they want, and however they want,” Maduro stated.

“What is the goal of the current US government? They've already said it. They've already said it. Right? To seize all of Venezuela's oil (…). The gold. The rare earth elements. Venezuela's riches. And let's wait for the weeks and months to come, and for American society, world society, to generate responses to dispel and end this entire threat. produced in other countries.

Its neighbor, Colombia, is the world's largest producer of cocaine, but most of it is believed to enter the US via other routes, not through Venezuela.

Since then, the US has seized two Venezuelan oil tankers and pursued a third.

The Trump administration has presented its operations against suspected drug-laden boats as a non-international armed conflict against drug traffickers.

But legal experts say they could be violating the laws governing this type of conflict.

The US has not provided evidence that the attacked ships were carrying drugs. However,the US Southern Command insisted this week that “intelligence confirmed that the vessels were transiting known drug trafficking routes and were involved in drug trafficking activities.”