Overview
- In a state TV interview recorded Dec. 31, Nicolás Maduro declined to confirm or deny U.S. claims of a strike on a Venezuelan docking area, saying the topic could be discussed in coming days.
- He said Venezuela is ready for a “serious” anti-narcotics agreement and invited U.S. energy investment, citing Chevron, while also floating renewed deportation flights for Venezuelan migrants.
- Maduro rejected reports of a second recent call with President Donald Trump, asserting they spoke only once for about 10 minutes on Nov. 21.
- U.S. Southern Command reported Dec. 31 lethal strikes on multiple suspected narcotrafficking vessels in international waters, and the Treasury sanctioned four Venezuelan oil firms and designated four tankers as blocked property.
- Venezuelan officials and local reporting say no domestic evidence corroborates the alleged ground or port strike, and oil prices eased after Maduro’s comments about potential dialogue, with Brent and WTI slipping roughly 1%.