MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Venezuelan overture to the US: “time to resume diplomatic representation at the highest level”
Minister Jaua makes the announcement during a television interview. 
Calixto Ortega is the potential envoy to the US chosen by Maduro Venezuela on Sunday made a rare diplomatic overture to the United States, suggesting it could be time for better ties. Foreign minister Elias Jaua said on Televen Sunday program that “we are going to remain open to normalizing relations with the United States”.
“The first thing would be to resume diplomatic representation at the highest level” added Jaua.
The country's late populist president Hugo Chavez was a staunch critic of the United States, and his successor Nicolas Maduro is still feeling out its footing with Washington.
Chavez for more than 14 years unleashed verbal broadsides on US leaders before his death in March. The United States and Venezuela since 2010 have not even had ambassadors in their embassies in their respective capitals.
Maduro, who earlier said his government would like to increase dialogue with the United States, has selected lawmaker Calixto Ortega as its potential US envoy.
US President Barack Obama however has not congratulated Maduro for his controversial, razor-thin April 14 election, as Maduro's opposition rival Henrique Capriles presses claims that the Venezuelan presidential election was marred by irregularities.
Maduro meanwhile slammed Obama “the top leader of devils” after he commented on post-election unrest in Venezuela, but has since lowered the tone of his speeches both towards Capriles and to the US.
Apparently during his quick visit round of Mercosur countries in search for support and food supplies (extremely short in Venezuela including toilet paper), Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff suggested better relations with the opposition and the business community.
She even had him interviewed on a Brazilian television program where Maduro admits to be willing to talk even with the devil (Capriles), for the sake of peace and stability in Venezuela.
It must also be added that despite the bad blood, Venezuela sells about 900,000 barrels of oil every day to the United States.
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Read all commentsA good initiative, lets hope Obama does what he was literally elected to do and responds positively.
May 21st, 2013 - 09:52 am 0“It must also be added that despite the bad blood, Venezuela sells about 900,000 barrels of oil every day to the United States”
Why stop now? Of course if America ever really crossed the line, like by bombing Iran, its nice to know that Venezuela still has that bit of leverage!
And we in the USA sell even more right back as refined gasoline, something that is in very short supply in Venezuela. The USA does not buy that sulphur laden shit other than to refine for them. Citgo, that name Venezuelan gas sells under here SUCKS........it gets the lowest mileage in my MKZ.
May 21st, 2013 - 10:36 am 0@1 lets hope Obama does what he was literally elected to do and responds positively. so, tell me !! what exactly was Maduro & Kirchner elected to do, I mean early days for the Venezuela president but Kirchner has not done one thing she was elected to do... I more inclined to think that Maduro needs to grovel to the Americans because he knows the shit is about to hit the fan because of what the singing bird's mess of things in the last 14 years.....
May 21st, 2013 - 12:33 pm 0Commenting for this story is now closed.
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