Maduro signals willingness to meet with Biden administration

Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro said Saturday that he is hopeful that a "direct, courageous, sincere and understanding" dialogue will be opened with the U.S. government.

Although the dictator showed a willingness to open channels of communication, he did not specify when or with whom he might speak – but signaled he is hopeful it could be with officials from the Biden administration.

"Hopefully, who knows when and with whom. I wish it were with the government of Joe Biden. If it happens, very good, and if it doesn't, we will continue with our struggle", Maduro said in an interview with Telesur.

He added that, since the arrival of Biden to the White House after defeating former president Donald Trump, "there has been no sign" that relations have improved between Washington and Caracas.

Maduro further admitted that his government opened negotiations with the Venezuelan opposition last Aug. 13 because he considered that this also implied a form of dialogue with the United States.

Negotiations with the opposition were suspended after the extradition of the Colombian Alex Saab to the United States, however.

"We believed that by sitting down to talk with the extremist, Guaidoist opposition, we were sitting down to talk with the U.S. and the U.S. Government ,” he stated.

These beliefs caused Maduro to qualify the extradition of Saab, considered his front man, as a "stab in the back" meant to "derail" the negotiations.

Maduro confirmed that "there would have to be big changes in the matter that has to do" with Saab's arrest, which the regime qualifies as "kidnapping,” before dialogue with the opposition could resume in Mexico.