Venezuela agrees to cooperate with the US in the fight against drug trafficking

“Both countries agreed to work on developing a bilateral cooperation agenda to combat trafficking in illicit substances” and terrorism, as well as to address migration together, declared the Venezuelan minister on the social network X.

Initially, Pérez Pirela said in his message that a joint fight against terrorism had also been agreed, but he later excluded it.

Venezuela’s Defense and Interior Ministers, Vladimir Padrino López and Diosdado Cabello, respectively, were also at the meeting, according to the Communications Minister.

“The meeting confirms that the diplomatic path must be the mechanism to resolve differences and address issues of bilateral and regional interest, of interest to all parties,” he added.

The US charge d’affaires in the Caribbean country, Laura Dogu, previously indicated that Donovan’s visit concluded this Wednesday, after meeting “with the interim authorities to assess the security issue, ensure the implementation of President Donald Trump’s three-phase plan” and “advance the objective of a Venezuela aligned with the US”.

The plan Dogu referred to has, according to Washington, three phases for the transition in Venezuela, following the capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on January 3, amid an attack by American military troops on Caracas and three nearby regions.

The three phases would be the stabilization of the country and the restoration of security, the recovery of the economy and a transition to a “friendly, stable, prosperous and democratic Venezuela”.

According to another publication by the embassy on the social network

On the same social network, the Southern Command classified as “productive” the meetings with Venezuelan authorities, in which the US Chargé d’Affaires and the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of National Defense, Joseph M. Humire, also participated.

“Southern Command is committed to promoting the National Security Strategy and the National Defense Strategy, working collaboratively with partner countries to build a secure and prosperous future for the hemisphere,” added the military division on the same social network.

The Delcy Rodríguez regime maintains close contacts with the USA, mainly aimed at recovering diplomatic relations, which had been broken since 2019, and revitalizing the South American country’s oil industry.

Donovan visited Venezuela a week after US Energy Secretary Chris Wright, with whom Delcy signed a long-term energy agreement whose details are still unknown.