The phone call between Donald Trump and Nicolás Maduro, in which Secretary of State Marco Rubio participated, occurred days before the State Department’s designation of the Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization took effect.
President Donald Trump spoke by phone last week with Nicolás Maduro and discussed a possible meeting between them, as the United States continues its military deployment in the Caribbean in its fight against drug trafficking, several people with knowledge of the matter told The New York Times.
The conversation between Trump and Maduro took place at the end of the week, according to two people Timeswhere a possible meeting in the United States was discussed. There are no plans at the moment for such a meeting, another of the people said.
The phone call, which included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, occurred days before the State Department’s designation of the Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization took effect.
The US has identified Maduro as the leader of said organization, along with senior officials of the Army and his administration.
A White House spokeswoman declined to comment on the call between Trump and Maduro. The Venezuelan government did not respond to a request for comment. Two people close to the Venezuelan administration confirmed that a direct call had taken place between both leaders.
Since mid-August, the United States has deployed a military operation in the Caribbean against drug trafficking, as they have justified. In about twenty attacks in the Caribbean Sea, supposedly near the Venezuelan coast, and the Pacific, at least 80 people have died, all men.
He New York Times reported in October that Maduro had offered the United States a significant stake in the country’s oil fields, along with other opportunities for American companies, in an effort to reduce tensions. However, Maduro sought to stay in power, and U.S. officials broke off those talks early last month.
With information from The New York Times
*Journalism in Venezuela is carried out in a hostile environment for the press with dozens of legal instruments in place to punish the word, especially the laws “against hate”, “against fascism” and “against the blockade.” This content was written taking into consideration the threats and limits that, consequently, have been imposed on the dissemination of information from within the country.
Post Views: 602
