The President of the United States, Donald J. Trump had a phone conversation last week with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, it was revealed on Friday. New York Times. The call, which represented a gesture of rapprochement at the height of hostilities between the two countries, included the possibility of holding a future meeting between the two leaders on American soil, an idea that would represent a noticeable change in the relationship between Washington and Caracas. The appointment has not been finalized, according to a source at the North American newspaper.
The contact occurs at a time of maximum political and military tension. The United States has strengthened its presence in the Caribbean, while Venezuela condemns moves it interprets as a direct threat against its president, Nicolas Maduro. according to New York TimesThe conversation opens the door to a diplomatic channel that contradicts the drug trafficking accusations against Maduro and his military leadership or the ongoing hidden threat of possible action on Venezuelan territory.
In addition to Donald J. Trump on behalf of the United States and Nicolas Maduro on behalf of Venezuela, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the main supporter of the strategy of pressure on the Venezuelan regime, also participated in the call.
Donald Trump has been leaving the door open to the possibility of making this call for weeks. Last Tuesday he dropped it again. “If we can save lives, if we can do things the right way, that’s OK. If we have to do it the hard way, that’s OK, too,” he said.
The strategy of the occupant of the White House is, on the one hand, to escalate the pressure and, on the other hand, to open a half-door to dialogue with Nicolas Maduro and build a bridge to avoid the conflict that could occur in Venezuela with fewer diplomatic measures.
Details of the conversation have not emerged, but Trump is maintaining this tug-of-war strategy. The Republican announced on Thursday that his government plans “very soon” to arrest drug traffickers linked to Venezuela “on land”, after a campaign of naval attacks in which more than 80 people were killed on board twenty alleged drug smuggling boats.
This ambiguous announcement – it is not clear how the United States will implement this threat – has once again demonstrated the tension and uncertainty that has characterized relations between Caracas and Washington in recent months. This hostility has reached its peak since Maduro has remained in power despite doubts about the legitimacy of his re-election after last year’s elections.
Trump chose an increased military presence in the Caribbean with thousands of soldiers, dozens of aircraft, and the deployment of his largest aircraft carrier. The military mobilization is an official response to the war against drug trafficking, but according to analysts and the businessman’s entourage, it has become clear that the ultimate goal is to remove Maduro from power.
It won’t be an easy task. Chavismo responded by deploying its army and training the civilian population to defend itself against any attack. The message that Maduro and his circle are sending is one of unity and resistance to “imperialism.” Moreover, at present, there is no evidence of divisions between the military leadership and the regime, which is one of the goals that Trump’s strategy seeks to achieve.