Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has sent a letter to former President Donald Trump offering “direct and frank conversation” with Special Envoy Richard Grenell, following a recent U.S. military airstrike in the Caribbean. The strike targeted a ship that Trump said was tied to the notorious Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. Maduro’s government insists the vessel was innocent of gang ties.
In his Sept. 6 letter—confirmed by Caracas this weekend—Maduro attempted to push back against U.S. claims of drug trafficking connections. He blasted the accusations as “false” and claimed they were being used “to justify an escalation to armed conflict that would inflict catastrophic damage across the entire continent.”
Maduro went so far as to claim Venezuela is not a player in the regional drug trade, saying, “This data conclusively demonstrates that Venezuela is a territory free of drug production and a country not relevant in the field of narcotics. This is due to the immense effort made for years by our police and military forces.”
The embattled leader included maps from international organizations in his letter, attempting to shift blame for drug trafficking onto other countries. He insisted that U.S.-Venezuela relations should instead be “historic and peaceful” in the tradition of Simón Bolívar.
Maduro then appealed directly to Trump, writing, “President, I hope that together we can defeat the falsehoods that have sullied our relationship.” He added that he remains open to further discussion with Grenell: “These and other issues will always be open for a direct and frank conversation with your special envoy, Rick Grenell, to overcome media noise and fake news.”
While Maduro is positioning himself as a willing partner for “peace through constructive dialogue,” U.S. officials have long pointed to his regime’s corruption, ties to criminal gangs, and repressive policies as evidence that Venezuela cannot be trusted. Trump, who took a hard line on Maduro during his presidency, has yet to publicly respond to this latest overture.
From the same country that donated OIL to low income citizens, in the USA – REMEMBER THIS?
call 1-800-Joe-4-Oil for a one time delivery of 100 gallons of home heating oil.
Sofie Holland, a longtime resident of Washington, D.C.’s, Anacostia neighborhood, says the unusual scene that took place on her front yard back in the winter of 2007 is forever etched in her memory. Former Massachusetts Congressional Representative Joe Kennedy, along with Venezuelan ambassador Bernardo Alvarez, and several other politicians had parked their limos up and down the street. They were eating hors d’oeuvre right by her porch. In this working class, often stigmatized area of D.C., it was an odd sight, but for Holland it was a welcome one. All this meant she would be able to get through the winter with a little less difficulty: it was the kickoff to the 3rd CITGO-Venezuela Heating Oil Program, of which Sofie was a first-time recipient.
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20`13 marked the CITGO-Venezuela Heating Oil Program’s 8th anniversary. You may be familiar with the non-profit Citizens Energy Corporation through its television advertisements. They feature founder and president of the corporation Joe Kennedy urging people in need to call 1-800-Joe-4-Oil for a one time delivery of 100 gallons of home heating oil.
The program was conceived in 2005, in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. With oil prices skyrocketing, CITGO Petroleum, which is a branch of Venezuelan state-owned oil company PDVSA, became a major donor of heating oil to Citizens Energy.