Maduro says he’s still in control of Venezuela, ready for direct talks with the United States

[TomSea]

Maduro says he’s still in control of Venezuela, ready for direct talks with the United States
By  Anthony Faiola
January 18, 2020 at 6:45 PM EST

CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro cast himself as the wily survivor of a dramatic, year-long struggle by the opposition at home and its allies in Washington to unseat him, and said it's now time for direct negotiations with the United States to end the political stalemate that has crippled this nation of some 30 million.

In an exclusive, extensive interview with The Washington Post — his first with a major U.S. media outlet since the day last February he abruptly pulled the plug on a Univision taping and ejected its journalists from the country — an exuberant Maduro said he had outfoxed his opponents in Caracas and Washington, is comfortably in charge and ready to talk.

He suggested a bonanza could be waiting for U.S. oil companies in this OPEC-member state should President Trump lift sanctions and press the reset button on U.S.-Venezuelan relations.

Read more at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/maduro-says-hes-still-in-control-of-venezuela-ready-for-direct-talks-with-the-united-states/2020/01/18/7f609a6e-38a7-11ea-a1ff-c48c1d59a4a1_story.html

It doesn't sound good. I'll bet we would insist on free elections.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Why should be engage in direct talks with him?  Doesn't benefit us in the least.

[DB]

You can only play the nationalization card once as a dictator. No sane company would make investments there a second time.