Trump calls off diplomatic outreach to Venezuela
Trump has called off efforts to reach a diplomatic agreement with Venezuela, according to US officials, paving the way for a potential military escalation against drug traffickers or the government of Nicolás Maduro.
Richard Grenell, a special presidential envoy and executive director of the Kennedy Center, had been leading negotiations with Maduro and other top Venezuelan officials. But during a meeting with senior military leaders on Thursday, Trump called Grenell and instructed him that all diplomatic outreach, including his talks with Maduro, was to stop, the officials said on Monday.
Trump has grown frustrated with Maduro’s failure to accede to American demands to give up power voluntarily and the continued insistence by Venezuelan officials that they have no part in drug trafficking.
American officials have said that the Trump administration has drawn up multiple military plans for an escalation. Those operations could also include plans designed to force Maduro from power.