Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has reached out to US President Donald Trump, calling for direct talks days after a US military strike on a boat from Venezuela. The incident, which the US government says involved drug traffickers, has heightened diplomatic friction between the two nations.
In a letter sent to President Trump on 6 September, Maduro rejected US claims that Venezuela is a significant conduit for Colombian drugs and emphasised his country’s efforts to combat trafficking. “President, I hope that together we can defeat the falsehoods that have sullied our relationship, which must be historic and peaceful,” Maduro wrote. “These and other issues will always be open for a direct and frank conversation with your special envoy (Richard Grenell) to overcome media noise and fake news.”
Maduro credited the dialogue channel led by Grenell with resolving issues around migrant deportations, stating, “To date, this channel has functioned flawlessly.” Twice-weekly deportation flights from the US to Venezuela have continued despite the US strikes, sources told Reuters.
The Trump administration has claimed, without providing evidence, that the initial strike targeted “3 male narcoterrorists aboard the vessel,” as well as an earlier strike that killed 11 people alleged to be members of the Tren de Aragua gang. The Venezuelan government disputes these claims and denies any high-level links to drug gangs.
Amid a significant US military build up in the southern Caribbean, Trump has demanded Venezuela accept the return of prisoners and warned of an “incalculable” price if Caracas fails to comply. Maduro, for his part, insisted, “This is the most egregious instance of disinformation against our nation, intended to justify an escalation to armed conflict that would inflict catastrophic damage across the entire continent,” he wrote.
There appear to be competing strategies within the Trump administration, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth favouring pressure, while Grenell and others pursue diplomatic engagement. Geoff Ramsey, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, commented, “Maduro is clearly making overtures. The question for the White House is, how do they get a victory here? Maduro is not going to want to deliver his head on the silver platter to the Venezuelan opposition or to the Americans.”
Reflecting on the risk of escalation, Henry Ziemer, associate fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, observed, “I don’t think Trump wants a war, and Maduro certainly doesn’t want a war. But the more assets you put in the region … the more opportunities there are for miscalculation. The risk is that we end up in a position where both Maduro and Trump feel as if they cannot back down.”
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With inputs from Reuters