Caracas, Venezuela – Sources close to the Venezuelan government revealed that a direct telephone call took place last week between US President Donald Trump and his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro,
This is an unprecedented move after months of heightened tension between the two countries.
Sources told the New York Times that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio participated in the call.
The discussion focused on exploring the possibility of holding a summit meeting
between the two presidents in the coming period.
There are no current plans
Despite the call, the two sources close to Caracas confirmed to the newspaper
There are currently no plans for a meeting between Trump and Maduro.
This comes as the US administration continues to explore multiple options
for dealing with the Venezuelan crisis.
Among them is increasing military and economic pressure on the Maduro regime.
Context of the call: Subsequent US escalation
The New York Times noted that this direct contact came just days
before a notable US move that escalated pressure on Maduro.
Washington has designated Maduro as the leader
of the “Cartel de los Soles” (Cartel of the Soles).
It is an organization that the US administration has designated
as a foreign terrorist organization. Rubio announced this designation last week.
The move coincided with US accusations that Maduro was overseeing
a drug trafficking network targeting the United States and Europe.
These are accusations that the Venezuelan president insists on denying.
Meanwhile, Washington has strengthened its military presence
in the Caribbean region with the aim of combating smuggling.
This comes amid growing talk of the possibility of
a limited military intervention to remove Maduro.
Mutual positions and clear interests
Last October, Maduro offered a portion of Venezuela’s oil production
to the United States in an attempt to reduce tensions.
But the Trump administration later froze those diplomatic channels.
Trump stated today, during a flight, that “a conversation with Maduro is possible.”
He added: “I might speak with him… we’ll see. Maduro is responsible
for sending millions to the United States.”
Lives can be saved through dialogue.
