Capriles Urges US-Venezuela Negotiation, Dismisses Smear Campaign Allegations
CARACAS – Venezuelan opposition leader Henrique Capriles Radonski is calling for direct negotiations between the United States and the Nicolás Maduro regime, arguing that “a bad peace agreement is always better than a war.” In an exclusive interview with El Tiempo correspondent Ana María Rodríguez Brazón, Capriles detailed a shift in focus from past election disputes to current realities, and addressed accusations of collusion with the Maduro government.
Capriles observed a marked change in rhetoric from critics of the Maduro regime, noting they’ve ceased demanding recounts of past elections, publication of electoral results, or access to meeting minutes. He contends the current focus on Venezuela as a drug producer and the narrative surrounding the ”Aragua Train”-a criminal network allegedly comprised of Venezuelan migrants in the US-represents a deliberate diversion. “Now the issue is that Venezuela is a drug producer,” Capriles stated. “The narrative of Aragua’s train, that Venezuelans in the United States were all suspicious.”
The interview comes amid ongoing, albeit indirect, diplomatic efforts between Washington and Caracas, spurred by energy security concerns and regional stability. Capriles emphasized the necessity of engaging with those currently in power, stating, “The United States has to negotiate with Maduro, not with María Corina or with Edmundo.” He pointed to Colombia’s decades-long conflict as a cautionary tale, highlighting the immense human and economic cost of prolonged warfare. “The war you know when it starts and never when it ends. The best example is colombia. How many years was Colombia at Guerra? How much did war cost him in human lives?”
Capriles also addressed allegations leveled against him by a sector of the opposition, who claim he has been compromised by the Maduro regime. He confirmed having spoken with U.S. Ambassador to colombia Francisco McNamara, and dismissed accusations of being bought off.”All that effort of this extremist sector that Lobby will do to try to sell the idea that we, who have this position, bought us the Maduro regime, has not been prosperous,” he said. He acknowledged Maduro’s disputed claim to power, stating there is a government actually that wields control, and that negotiations must be conducted with those holding that power.
