
Richard Grenell (left) standing beside Donald Trump (right) at a 2024 campaign event. Photo: AP/Alex Brandon.

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Richard Grenell (left) standing beside Donald Trump (right) at a 2024 campaign event. Photo: AP/Alex Brandon.
The US Presidentâs Special Envoy for Special Missions, Richard Grenell, said President Donald Trump’s openness to talking with Venezuelan President NicolĂĄs Maduro does not reflect weakness.
âI donât think talking to Maduro is a weak position. And many people criticized me harshly for saying that itâs weak to go and talk to him. I totally disagree,â he said during an interview at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
The US official defended the current administrationâs negotiation style, rooted in the âAmerica Firstâ approach.
Grenell cited his experience as ambassador to Germany to illustrate his focus on US interests. He said he was criticized for being too tough and not helping the Germans.
He recalled that Chancellor Merkel âonce reprimanded me and said, âYou know, give us a break once in a while.â And I said, with all due respect, Madam, you have an ambassador in Washington. I am here for the American people. I work for the American people. They pay my salary. I want our embassy to be the best for the United States. I donât really care too much about German problems,â he emphasized.
Grenell stressed that his role is to represent the USânot the host countryâwhich justifies a firm stance when dealing with adversaries.
What Is Really Happening in Venezuela? US Attacks and Economic Situation Explained
His comments follow President Trumpâs second statement this Monday that he would âprobablyâ speak with the Venezuelan president, even as the US maintains a military deployment in waters near Venezuela.
For his part, President NicolĂĄs Maduro, addressing the prospect of dialogue, reiterated: âWhoever wants to talk to Venezuela, we will talk face to face.”
No evidence linking President Maduro to drug cartels
Juan GonzĂĄlez, a White House advisor during the Joe Biden administration, said Sunday there is no evidence that President NicolĂĄs Maduro has ties to international drug trafficking networks, as the US government alleges.
âThere is no evidence to support that the president of Venezuela, NicolĂĄs Maduro, directs any drug trafficking cartel,â GonzĂĄlez stated emphatically in an interview with journalist Patricia Janiot. He noted that in Iraq, the US intervened âbased on false evidenceâand here [in Venezuelaâs case], we must recognize there is no concrete evidence of Maduroâs role as head of a cartel.â
The former official also said it is plausible that groundwork could be laid for dialogue between US President Donald Trump and Venezuelan President NicolĂĄs Maduro to reduce tensions fueled by US escalation and ongoing aggression against Venezuela.
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