Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said in an interview broadcast on Sunday that he is willing to work to normalize relations with the United States, despite continued sanctions crippling his country.
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Maduro’s comments come days after the South American country’s opposition voted to dissolve an “interim government” headed by Juan Guaidó, who had been recognized by many countries, including the United States, as Venezuela’s rightful leader following the disputed 2018 elections.
“Venezuela is ready, totally ready, to take steps towards a process of normalization of diplomatic, consular and political relations with the current administration of the United States and with the coming administrations,” Maduro said in an interview broadcast on Venezuelan state television.
Maduro broke relations with Washington in 2019, when the administration of then-President Donald Trump recognized Guaidó as the “interim president” of Venezuela.
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In an attempt to force Maduro out of office, the United States launched a series of sanctions against Venezuela, including an oil embargo.
Although the administration of the current US president, Joe Biden, maintains a policy of not formally recognizing the Maduro government, last year it sent delegates to Caracas to meet with him and negotiate prisoner exchanges, among other issues.
“We are prepared for dialogue at the highest level, for relations of respect, and hopefully a ray of light will reach the United States of America, they will turn the page and put aside their extremist policies and reach more pragmatic policies with respect to Venezuela. Maduro said.
Three of the four main parties in Venezuela’s opposition-controlled National Assembly voted on Friday to end the interim government led by Guaidó.
The body, elected in 2015, is now largely symbolic, having been replaced by a legislature loyal to Maduro, though it still retains control of some of Venezuela’s assets abroad.
After negotiations in Mexico between the opposition and the Maduro government restarted in late November, Washington responded by granting US energy giant Chevron a six-month license to operate in Venezuela.
