The government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva estimates that there are “contradictory signals” from the White House regarding the crisis between the United States and Venezuela. According to Lula’s aides, while Washington continues the attacks and threatening tone of the Venezuelan regime, rumors are circulating that representatives of Nicolas Maduro and Donald Trump are maintaining contacts, including the possibility of a phone conversation between the two leaders.
According to the American New York Times, Trump spoke by phone last week with Nicolas Maduro and they discussed the possibility of holding a meeting between the two. The call was scheduled to include the participation of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The United States has strengthened its military presence in the Caribbean region, focusing on Venezuela. Administration officials say the goal is to curb drug trafficking, but they have also made clear they want Maduro out of power, perhaps by force.
In Brasilia, interlocutors familiar with the matter stated that the current scenario is one of “suspense and uncertainty.” The US military fleet remained in the Caribbean for a long time and received reinforcements almost daily, including clearance from the Dominican Republic for supply operations and the arrival of new bombers.
In addition, airlines, including Brazilian Airlines, have canceled flights to Venezuela after the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warned them of the dangers of flying over the South American country’s airspace – moves that signal an escalation.
Signs that Venezuela may be under attack by the United States, under the Trump administration’s justification of the need to combat what it considers narco-terrorism, are worrying the Brazilian government. This issue has already been discussed between the Brazilian and American authorities, and is supposed to return to the agenda in the next phone call between Lula and Trump.
After participating last Sunday in the G20 summit – the group that includes the largest economies in the world – in South Africa, Lula said that he was “deeply concerned” about the American military presence in the Caribbean Sea, near Venezuela. He added that he intends to discuss the matter with his American counterpart.
US President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he will “very soon” adopt new measures to detain suspects on the ground for their involvement in Venezuelan drug smuggling.
— You may have noticed that people don’t want to deliver by sea, and we’ll start stopping them by land as well. The ground is easier, but it will start very soon, Trump said in a virtual call with members of the US Armed Forces.
The Trump administration is evaluating alternatives to dealing with Venezuela in the context of what it sees as President Nicolas Maduro’s role in providing the illicit drugs that are killing Americans. Maduro denies any connection to drug trafficking.
Until now, American action in the region has focused on counter-narcotics operations, although the military hardware mobilized is far superior to what is necessary for this type of work. Since September, US forces have carried out at least 21 attacks on suspected ships in the Caribbean and Pacific, killing at least 83 people.
In recent weeks, reports about potential new initiatives have multiplied. Amid escalating tensions with Venezuela, the United States has deployed additional forces to the Caribbean.