WASHINGTON (U.S) – In an interview published on Sunday, President Donald Trump said that he would consider meeting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, playing down down his earlier decision to recognise opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country’s legitimate leader.
“I would maybe think about that. … Maduro would like to meet. And I’m never opposed to meetings,” Trump told Axios on Friday, a move that would invert his “maximum pressure” campaign to oust the Socialist president.
“But at this moment, I’ve turned them down,” Trump added.
Earlier in 2018, Trump had expressed willingness to meet Maduro, who had also made overtures for talks. But nothing materialised.
Some officials feel that Trump’s latest comments indicate his growing frustration over his administration’s failure to oust Maduro through sanctions and diplomacy.
The president also indicated flagging confidence in Guaido, who is recognised by the US and most western nations as the interim president of Venezuela since January last year, slamming Maduro’s 2018 re-election as a sham.
On the other hand, Maduro enjoys the support of the military as well as Russia, Cuba, China and Iran.
Asked whether he regretted supporting Guaido, Trump was quoted by Axios as initially saying: “Not particularly,” but then went on to say: “I could have lived with it or without it, but I was very firmly against what’s going on in Venezuela.”
Trump said that at the point he made his decision, “I think that I wasn’t necessarily in favour, but I said — some people that liked it, some people didn’t. I was OK with it. … I don’t think it was very meaningful one way or the other.”
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field
