Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has said he is ready to move toward normalizing relations with the United States. He also urged Washington to stop engaging in what he called “foreign policy blackmail.” Maduro made the comments during an interview on January 1.

President Nicolás Maduro: “With the United States, they are unfortunately trapped in a policy on Venezuela that makes no sense, in supporting institutions that don’t exist, an interim president of an assembly of Narnia, which they keep on supporting. In one way or another, the foreign policy blackmail from Florida, from Miami, holds ground in the White House, in the Department of State. It’s unfortunate. Venezuela is completely prepared to take a step toward the normalization and regularization of diplomatic, consular and political relations with the United States and subsequent governments.”

Maduro’s remarks came just days after opposition lawmakers in Venezuela voted to terminate the interim government led by the U.S.-backed opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who declared himself to be the interim president of Venezuela three years ago.