US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he had recently spoken with the Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro, despite soaring tensions between the two nations.
Caracas has slammed Washington’s imposition of an airspace ban over Venezuela, describing the move as a preparatory arrangement for a possible attack. Washington continues to pile pressure on Venezuela, with a major military build-up in the Caribbean waters, which they suggest is aimed at targeting the drug cartel nexus.
About the phone call, Trump said, "I wouldn't say it went well or badly. It was a phone call.” Reports on Saturday claimed that Maduro had discussed conditions of “amnesty if he were to step down”, while commentators suggested that “the US has given Maduro a chance to leave his country for Russia or elsewhere.”
The US has accused Maduro of leading the so-called “Cartel of the Suns” and issued a $50 million reward for his arrest.
Meanwhile, Venezuela has urged assistance from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), of which it is a member, to help "stop this (American) aggression, which is being readied with more and more force." Mauro’s letter read, “Washington is trying to capture Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, the biggest in the world, by launching a military attack on our country.”
Since late September, the US has carried out dozens of strikes on cartel boats, killing 83 people in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific. The letter, according to sources who accessed it, continued: “I hope to count on your best efforts to help stop this aggression, which is growing stronger and seriously threatens the balance of the international energy market, both for producing and consuming countries.”
Also Read: Trump, Maduro spoke on phone despite tensions: Report
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