Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro offered to engage in direct talks with Special Envoy Richard Grenell in a letter sent to President Trump earlier this month, the Venezuelan government confirmed on Sunday.
The letter, dated Sept. 6, came just days after the U.S. military carried out an airstrike on a ship in the Caribbean that Trump said was connected to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. Venezuela has said the ship targeted was not carrying any gang members.
Maduro, in his letter, sought to refute “the false accusations of links with mafias and drug trafficking gangs by high-ranking Venezuelan authorities,” which he warned were damaging to the relationship between the two countries.
“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.
Maduro included maps from international organizations showing the drug trafficking routes in the region and argued that other countries were more responsible for the proliferation of drugs.
“This data conclusively demonstrates that Venezuela is a territory free of drug production and a country not relevant in the field of narcotics,” he wrote. “This is due to the immense effort made for years by our police and military forces.”
Maduro pressed for a more cooperative relationship with the U.S. going forward and said he would be happy to discuss the data presented in the letter in greater detail.
“President, I hope that together we can defeat the falsehoods that have sullied our relationship, which must be historic and peaceful, as always envisioned by our Liberator, Simón Bolivar,” he wrote in the letter.
He also said he was always open to further conversation with Grenell.
“I respectfully invite you, President, to promote peace through constructive dialogue and mutual understanding throughout the hemisphere,” Maduro said. “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.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Reuters first reported on the letter on Saturday.
Vice President Delcy Rodriguez posted the letter to her telegram account this weekend, saying, “Since the letter has been partially leaked in the U.S. press, the Venezuelan government assumes responsibility for publishing it in full.”
“It reflects the irrefutable truth of Venezuela: we are a territory free of illicit activities, peaceful and secure. The military threat against Venezuela, the Caribbean, and South America must end, and the CELAC Peace Zone declaration must be respected,” she continued.
“Venezuela, in perfect unity among its people, military, and police forces, will continue to defend its right to sovereignty, to peace, and to the sacred legacy of our Liberator Simón Bolívar.”
