Maduro held secret talks with American officials
CARACAS: A month into Venezuela’s high-stakes political crisis, President Nicolas Maduro revealed in an AP interview that his government held secret talks with the Trump administration and predicted he would survive an unprecedented global campaign to force his resignation.
While harshly criticising Donald Trump’s confrontational stance towards his socialist government, Maduro said on Thursday that he holds out hope of meeting the US president soon to resolve a crisis triggered by America’s recognition of opponent Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s rightful leader.
Maduro said that during two hushed meetings in New York, his foreign minister invited the Washington-based special envoy for Venezuela, Elliott Abrams, to come to visit “privately, publicly or secretly”.
“If he wants to meet, just tell me when, where and how and I’ll be there,” Maduro said without providing more details. He said both New York meetings lasted several hours.
A senior administration offi- cial in Washington who was not authorised to speak publicly said US officials were willing to meet with “former Venezuela officials, including Maduro himself, to discuss their exit plans”.
AID WORTH $100 MILLION PLEDGED TO VENEZUELA
Twenty-five countries have pledged $100 million in aid to Venezuela, a top US official said Thursday, as the crisis-hit country’s Supreme Court took aim at oil executives appointed by the opposition.
Venezuela is plagued by hyperinflation and major shortages of basic goods, and two men - opposition leader Juan Guaido and President Nicolas Maduro - are vying for control of the country. The United States is among more than 50 countries that have recognized Guaido as interim president, but Maduro - backed by the country’s military as well as Russia, China and dozens of other states -- has so far refused to relinquish his office.