Trump spoke with Venezuela’s Maduro, discussed possible U.S. meeting, NYT reports
US President Donald Trump spoke by phone last week with Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, with the two rivals discussing a possible meeting in the United States, The New York Times reported on Friday, citing multiple people with knowledge of the matter.
The reported call comes as Trump’s administration piles pressure on Venezuela with a major military deployment in the Caribbean that includes the world’s largest aircraft carrier. Washington says the aim is curbing drug trafficking, but Caracas insists regime change is the ultimate goal.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the Times report, which said Secretary of State Marco Rubio was also in on the call.
The newspaper added that there were no plans at the moment for such a meeting, which – if it occurred – would be the first-ever encounter between the Venezuelan leader and a U.S. president.
On Thursday, Trump repeated his previous threats to begin bombing land-based targets.
“The land is easier, but that’s going to start very soon,” Trump told reporters.
