Venezuela not seeking conflict with the United States, its foreign minister tells CNN

Caracas —

Venezuela is not seeking a military confrontation with the United States or any other regional actor, its Foreign Minister Yván Gil told CNN in a rare interview, as tensions rise with Washington, including over the recent deadly US Navy strike on a vessel allegedly carrying drugs in the Caribbean.

“We are not betting on conflict, nor do we want conflict,” Gil said during the interview from the Casa Amarilla, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry headquarters in Caracas, on Monday.

The relationship between the US and Venezuela has long been precarious. But it has become particularly fraught under the two administrations of President Donald Trump who has taken a hardline against his counterpart Nicolas Maduro, including recognizing the country’s opposition leader following a widely