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Trump call, drug trafficking: What Nicolas Maduro said in last interview before US capture
Nicolas Maduro, at the time, also addressed the increasing pressure from the US and said it was an effort to gain control of Venezuela's vast natural resources.
Less than 48 hours before his capture in an overnight military operation by the United States, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro had spoken about the Latin American country's willingness to discuss oil trade and drug trafficking with US President Donald Trump.
In an interview with a Spanish journalist, originally published in Mexican newspaper La Jornada and aired on Venezuelan state TV on New Year's Day, Maduro said that his country and the US "must start to speak seriously, with the facts in hand". Follow live updates on US strikes on Venezuela
The Venezuelan President clarified that he and Trump have had only one conversation. "US President Donald Trump called me on Friday, November 21st, from the White House...we spoke for ten minutes, and it was, as I say, a very respectful conversation," Maduro said.
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He further said that Venezuela has told the US government up front several times that "if they want to seriously discuss an agreement to combat drug trafficking, we're ready. If they want oil, Venezuela is ready for US investment, like with Chevron, whenever they want it, wherever they want it, and however they want it".
Maduro's interview and the possibilities of an olive branch that could have been extended to the US have surfaced amid the recent capture of the Venezuelan President at the hands of an overnight military operation by Washington in Caracas on Saturday.
The Venezuelan President's remarks also echo his previous statements about his willingness to hold a dialogue with Trump. Maduro addressed the then-escalating US pressure on Venezuela, including sanctions and heightened American military presence, and said that it was an effort to gain control of Venezuela's vast natural resources.
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"What is the goal of the US? They've said it," Maduro said in the interview. "To grab all the oil of Venezuela...the gold, the rare earths," he added.
Maduro's interview came amid the ramped-up attacks by the US, with Trump saying that the American forces hit a dock in Venezuela that was used for loading drugs, but gave no details of it. The Venezuelan leader did not confirm the attack in the interview, but said he may discuss the issue in the coming days.
"What I can tell you is that the national defence system, which combines popular military and police forces, has guaranteed and continues to guarantee territorial integrity, peace in the country, and the use and enjoyment of all our territories, and our people are safe and at peace," Maduro said.
On the drug-trafficking accusations, Maduro has always denied the US charges of running a narco-state. He said cocaine smuggled through the region originates in neighbouring Colombia and that Venezuela has the "perfect model" to combat drug trafficking.
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On Saturday, Trump announced that Nicolas Maduro was "captured and flown out of the country", confirming large-scale strikes on the Latin American nation.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, "The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country. This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement."
Trump explained the operation to extract the Venezuelan President from Caracas in a press conference on Saturday and said that the US would temporarily "run" the country, warning neighbouring Colombia to be wary.
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The US President also said that Washington was ready for a second and a much larger attack on Venezuela if needed. "We are not afraid of boots on the ground if we have to. We had boots on the ground last night at a very high level, actually," he added.
The US military operation that captured Maduro and his wife is being dubbed "Absolute Resolve", which American officials said had been planned and rehearsed for months. Once launched, the operation unfolded in under 30 minutes.
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, said that over 150 US aircraft entered Venezuelan airspace after the forces neutralised the country's air defences, Bloomberg reported.
