Donald Trump confirmed on Sunday that he had spoken to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, but did not provide details of what the two leaders discussed.
When the US President was asked if he had spoken to Maduro, he said, “I don’t want to comment on that. The answer is yes.” He was talking to journalists in Air Force One.
The New York Times first reported that Trump had spoken to Maduro earlier this month and discussed a possible meeting between them in the United States.
Trump said of the conversation, “I wouldn’t say whether it was good or bad. It was a phone call.”
The revelation of the phone call comes as Trump continues aggressive rhetoric regarding Venezuela, while also entertaining the possibility of diplomacy.
On Saturday, Trump said the airspace over and around Venezuela should be considered “completely closed” but gave no further details, sparking concern and confusion in Caracas as his administration steps up pressure on Maduro’s government.
Asked whether his airspace comments meant strikes against Venezuela were imminent, Trump said: “Don’t read anything into it.”
The Trump administration is considering options related to Venezuela to portray Maduro as responsible for his role in supplying illegal drugs that have killed Americans. The president of socialist Venezuela has denied any links to the illegal drug trade.
Reuters has reported that options under consideration by the US include an attempt to overthrow Maduro, and that the US military is ready for a new phase of the operation after a massive military build-up in the Caribbean and nearly three months of attacks on suspected drug boats off the Venezuelan coast.
Human rights groups have condemned the attacks as illegal extrajudicial killings of civilians, and some US allies have expressed growing concern that Washington may be violating international law.
Trump said he would look into whether U.S. forces carried out a second attack in the Caribbean that killed survivors during the September operation, adding that he did not want such an attack.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said that the strikes are lawful but that they are intended to be “lethal”.
Trump told military service members last week that the US would “very soon” launch a ground operation to interdict suspected Venezuelan drug smugglers.
Maduro and senior members of his administration have not commented on the call. Asked about it on Sunday, Jorge Rodriguez, the head of Venezuela’s National Assembly, said the call was not the subject of his press conference, where he announced a lawmaker investigation into US boat attacks in the Caribbean.
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