Reuters: Venezuelan president seeks direct talks with Trump

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has sent a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump proposing direct negotiations between the two countries’ administrations. 

According to Reuters, the letter was written in early September, after U.S. armed forces struck members of the Venezuelan group Tren de Aragua in the Caribbean Sea, killing 11 people. On September 21, Venezuelan authorities made the message public.

In the letter, Maduro states that only 5% of drugs produced in Colombia are routed through Venezuela. Most of them—up to 70%—are destroyed by Venezuelan authorities. “I hope that together we can defeat the falsehoods that have sullied our relationship, which must be historic and peaceful,” the message notes.

Nicolás Maduro also called for a “direct and frank conversation” with Donald Trump’s special envoy for Latin America, Richard Grenell, in order to “overcome media noise and fake news” suggesting that Venezuela is refusing to take back migrants.

The White House has yet to officially comment on the Venezuelan president’s letter. Over the past weekend, Donald Trump wrote on his social network that Venezuela must agree to the return of all prisoners or pay an “incalculable” price.

By Vugar Khalilov