US President Donald Trump confirmed that he spoke by phone with Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, amid the military escalation carried out by the White House in the Caribbean Sea. This assertion was made by the Republican to reporters on Sunday (11/30), when he was on board Air Force One, on his way to Washington after spending Thanksgiving in Florida.
The conversation between Trump and Maduro began to be broadcast behind the scenes of North American diplomacy, generating expectations about the possibility of negotiations starting between Washington and Caracas. In recent days, the United States ordered the closure of Venezuela’s airspace, sparking warnings about a possible military attack on the country.
“I don’t want to comment on it, but the answer is yes,” Donald Trump said when asked if the call took place.
The Republican did not provide further details about the dialogue. According to the New York Post, Trump ordered Maduro to leave Venezuela immediately to protect himself and his family. According to the publication, the Venezuelan would demand maintaining military control in the country and amnesty, in exchange for holding free elections.
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According to the North American press, the tense conversation took place last week, that is, before the order to close the airspace was issued and even before a plane actually used by Maduro landed in a city located on the border with Brazil, which raised speculation about the whereabouts of the Venezuelan leader.
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Conditional closure.
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The Venezuelan plane’s flight record is already being used by Maduro
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The Venezuelan plane’s flight record is already being used by Maduro
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President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro
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Venezuela held elections in Essequibo, Guyana province
Zorimar Campos/Presidency of Venezuela
Military attack
Trump even said last week that ground attacks on Venezuelan drug cartels could happen “very soon.” Since the beginning of the military escalation, the United States began bombing civilian ships in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, under the pretext of combating drug transport.
The country has also sent the world’s largest aircraft carrier to the Caribbean Sea, raising concerns in the region about a possible invasion.
Brazil, considered a diplomatic leader in the region, is closely monitoring the situation. Although President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (Workers’ Party) broke ties with Maduro by not recognizing the recent elections in Venezuela, the Workers’ Party member will respond to the US military attack.