Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has said he is ready to negotiate with the United States on drug and oil trafficking.

"Wherever and whenever they want," he said in an interview with Venezuelan state television. "I am ready to talk." Maduro's response came three months after the US began targeting boats traveling through the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean. The Trump administration has carried out at least 30 attacks during this period. At least 110 people have died in those attacks. The US said five people were killed when US forces attacked two boats suspected of carrying drugs on Wednesday. Last Monday, US President Donald Trump said that the infrastructure built by Venezuela to house drug boats had been attacked. This was the first US attack inside Venezuela. A loud explosion was heard during the attack. According to the New York Times, the explosion was caused by a CIA drone strike. The television presenter also asked Maduro about this issue. However, Maduro neither confirmed nor denied. “We can talk about this issue in a few days,” he said. Maduro said that he was ready to talk about drug trafficking, oil and immigration. Maduro also said that he was ready to allow Chevron, the only American company doing business in Venezuela, to open factories and operate businesses wherever they want.

Trump has been accusing the Maduro government of forcing criminals in its prisons to migrate to the United States. ‘Venezuela is emptying its prisons and increasing the number of refugees in the United States,’ Trump has been claiming. However, he has not made concrete evidence of this public.

The United States is also blocking and seizing oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela. On December 10, the US seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. The US alleges that the tanker was used to illegally transport oil from Venezuela to Iran. Venezuela has called it international robbery. Since then, the US has seized another tanker and is preparing to seize a third tanker. The 5 main disputes between the two countries: Drug trafficking: Trump has accused Venezuela of protecting drug traffickers in the US. US data shows that large quantities of cocaine are being smuggled from the South American country to Europe and the US. The US declared the ‘Cartel de Los Soles’ a terrorist organisation in November. It has also declared Maduro its leader and announced a reward of $50 million for information leading to his arrest. However, Maduro has denied the allegations.

The US has been conducting an anti-drug campaign in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean since September 2. During this, it has been attacking boats passing through Venezuela on suspicion of being involved in drug trafficking. Venezuela has strongly objected to this move, saying that it violates human rights.

Monroe Doctrine:

Trump's foreign policy is another reason for the tension with Venezuela. He is following the 19th century Monroe Doctrine. Which considers the Western Hemisphere as the US sphere of influence.

Trump has been saying that China should not be given access to resources such as military bases and important minerals in this region. However, the Maduro government has signed energy and mineral agreements with China. Similarly, it has increased cooperation with Iran and Russia. Trump believes that Venezuela is important to US national security.

His desire is to establish a government close to the US in Venezuela. In the past, Trump supported Guaido's claim (presidential declaration), but could not overthrow Maduro.

Now, Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado has said that she fully supports Trump's policy.

Oil: Venezuela has the world's largest oil reserves. But despite having abundant resources, oil production is very low.

Until 1998, relations between Venezuela and the US were very cordial. Most of the oil fields here were owned by American private companies. However, when communist leader Hugo Chavez came to power in 1998, Chavez began to nationalize the oil industries.

This decision damaged relations with the US. Gradually, Venezuela became closer to Cuba, Iran, and Russia. After Chavez's death in 2013, his disciple Nicolas Maduro was elected president.

In 2017, Trump announced an embargo on Venezuela immediately after taking office. This led to a national crisis in Venezuela. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Juan Guaido, the then president of the Venezuelan National Assembly, declared himself president in 2019. His claim was supported by the US, the European Union, and many other Western countries. However, the Venezuelan military supported Maduro. After this incident, Venezuela's relations with China and economic dependence further increased.

Having faced US sanctions for years, there is a lack of investment and equipment necessary for oil extraction. China has been helping in recent years. Maduro accuses Washington of having its eyes on his country's oil.

The country, which is rich in oil and rare earth elements and geographically very close to the United States, has not been happy with its proximity to China and Russia.

The Joe Biden administration had adopted a policy of non-interference in Venezuela's internal affairs to improve relations with it after 2020. However, relations with Maduro have deteriorated again since Trump was elected for a second term.

Cuba-Iran: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump's close allies are in favor of overthrowing the communist government of Cuba.

Venezuela, which is facing US sanctions, sends its oil to Cuba and sells it on the international market from Cuba.

This relationship has played a major role in keeping both the Maduro government and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel in power. On the other hand, Trump also has a plan to change the regime in Iran.