Relations between the US and Venezuela are at their worst point, says Maduro.
Relations between Venezuela and the United States have reached their lowest point in history, said Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro; "Unfortunately, we are at the worst moment in our relationship with the United States government," he stated; Maduro said that he and US President Donald Trump should respect each other, that bilateral relations should be normalized, and that dialogue should be established; earlier this month, Trump even suggested that the US could carry out a military intervention to resolve the Venezuelan crisis.
Reuters - Relations between Venezuela and the United States have reached their lowest point in history, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said Tuesday in a televised address to international media from the presidential palace.
"Unfortunately, we are at the worst point in our relationship with the United States government," he stated.
Maduro said that he and US President Donald Trump should respect each other, that bilateral relations should be normalized, and that dialogue should be established.
Earlier this month, during an impromptu briefing with reporters in Washington, Trump said: "People are suffering and they are dying. We have many options for Venezuela, including a possible military option if necessary."
Maduro is struggling to contain a political crisis that is shaking his government, has led to months of violent protests, and accusations that he is trying to establish a dictatorship in the country through a Constituent Assembly that has been rejected nationally and internationally.
Venezuela is also being plagued by a severe economic crisis that has led to a chronic shortage of food and medicine.
During his speech on Tuesday, Maduro spoke at length about actions taken by the US in the region and elsewhere, mentioning in particular the war in Iraq.
Maduro, like his predecessor Hugo Chávez, frequently rails against Washington, which he blames for his nation's problems, including rampant inflation and the collapse of the national currency.
In recent weeks, Caracas has cracked down on the opposition, including one of Maduro's harshest critics, Attorney General Luisa Ortega. She fled to Colombia last week with her husband, who is a member of parliament, after saying she feared for her life. She is on her way to Brazil, according to Colombian authorities.
During his speech, Maduro said that Venezuela would seek an international arrest warrant for Ortega, whom he accused of having worked with the United States for a long time.
(Additional reporting by Diego Oré)