Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro praised the phone call he held on Wednesday with US President Donald Trump, who once again threatened drug traffickers operating from South American countries.
Maduro stated that the call could be described as friendly and based on mutual respect, noting that it represents an opening for dialogue between the two countries. He added that Venezuela welcomes dialogue for the sake of peace and supports diplomacy.
He also pointed out that the American public has grown weary of wars and does not wish to see a repeat of the experiences in Libya, Iraq or Afghanistan.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump threatened that the United States could strike Venezuelan territory if necessary, in addition to targeting maritime vessels, with the stated aim of stopping drug smuggling from Venezuela to the United States.
His remarks came after a cabinet meeting that lasted nearly two hours and was broadcast live from the White House, where he answered reporters’ questions on current issues.
Trump also discussed the increased pressure exerted by the US military on Venezuela and the attacks targeting vessels accused of transporting drugs in the Caribbean.
He reaffirmed Washington’s determination to combat drugs entering the United States from countries such as Venezuela and Colombia by all possible means, noting that he had granted the Pentagon full authority in this regard.
Trump continued by saying, “I want to eliminate those ships off the Venezuelan coast. If necessary, we will launch an attack on Venezuelan territory just as we do at sea. Very little is coming in by sea now. I believe we have destroyed more than 90 percent of it.”
He added, “We will begin these operations on land as well. Attacking on land is much easier. We know the routes they use, we know everything about them, we know where they live, and we will begin this very soon. Anyone producing or selling drugs to our country will be targeted.”
Trump also responded to questions regarding claims that he had issued an order for a second strike on a ship allegedly carrying drugs off the Venezuelan coast on September 2, which resulted in the deaths of two individuals who had clung to the vessel after the first attack caused a fire.
For his part, War Secretary Higseth stated that Admiral Frank Bradley had full authority to launch the second strike, and that it was not possible at the time to determine whether anyone was injured.
Tensions between the United States and Venezuela have escalated in recent months. In August, Trump issued an executive order calling for increased use of the military under the pretext of combating drug cartels in Latin America.
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