U.S. envoy secretly met associate of Venezuela’s Maduro on peaceful exit but no deal -sources
WASHINGTON, ( Reuters) -A senior Trump administration envoy met secretly with a representative of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro last month to try to work out Maduro’s peaceful exit from power, but no agreement was reached, three people familiar with the matter said yesterday.
Richard Grenell, the former acting U.S. Director of National Intelligence and former ambassador to Germany, had discussions in Mexico City with Jorge Rodriguez, a close associate of Maduro, the sources said.
There was no immediate comment from the White House or State Department.
President Donald Trump has become increasingly frustrated over the failure of his policy of sanctions and diplomatic pressure to unseat Maduro, U.S. officials have said privately.
Maduro, a socialist whose 2018 re- election was considered a sham by most Western countries, has retained the support of Russia, China, Cuba and Iran. He is also backed by Venezuela’s military.
As Trump seeks re-election on Nov. 3 trailing Democratic rival Joe Biden in opinion polls, he has sought foreign policy achievements that he can tout in the campaign’s final phase. Grenell is also a senior Trump campaign adviser.
The sources gave conflicting views on whether the meeting was worthwhile but all agreed that no deal was struck or even significant progress made toward Maduro’s exit.
One source said Maduro’s representative showed some interest in finding a solution but signaled a desire to await the outcome of the U.S. election.
Another person familiar with the matter said arranging such talks may have sent a message of U. S. desperation that would only prompt Maduro to further entrench himself.
“They do want a solution, but they’re waiting to see who the next president will be,” the first source told Reuters. “It was clear that they were trying to buy time.”