Venezuela's authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro could go into exile in Qatar should he end up caving to pressure from the Trump administration and relinquish power, according to a new report.
The New York Post detailed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio floated letting Maduro to go to the Middle Eastern country, which is seeking to mediate in the conflict. Three Trump administration officials described the scenario as plausible.
"Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE love to do stuff like this. It helps build chits with the US," one source told the outlet. "All three compete against each other — in the region and for the ultimate affection of the US." However, another person said Maduro is unlikely to go to the country.
Trump reportedly urged Maduro to relinquish power soon, threatening to escalate military actions in a call in late November. There, the outlet added, Trump emphasized that Maduro must leave power along with top regime officials, likely including Diosdado Cabello, Jorge and Delcy Rodriguez and Vladimir Padrino Lopez, according to Infobae.
Hours after the call, the administration officially designated the Cartel de los Soles, which the administration accuses Maduro and his top officials of leading, as a terrorist organization, paving the way for strikes inside Venezuela. And Trump lated said Venezuela's airspace should be considered "closed."
Another report by The Washington Post noted that Turkey has risen as a potential destination should an off-ramp be agreed on. The outlet noted that Caracas and Ankara have friendly ties, exchanging cabinet-level visits in recent years, and have a dynamic trade relationship.
As a result, and considering that Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan has a good relationship with Trump, some in Washington D.C. are actively contemplating the possibility.
"At the end of day, what are realistic and acceptable outcomes? Obviously, people are thinking about it, working on it," a person familiar with administration deliberations told the outlet. The person said such a deal could come with guarantees. Namely, assurances that Maduro wouldn't be extradited to the U.S.
In contrast, another report from this week noted that Maduro is reluctant to agree to any deal to leave power because he doesn't believe he would get lasting amnesty.
The Wall Street Journal noted that Maduro only feels safe among loyalists, and both him and his inner circle believe the Trump administration is bluffing. The only way to oust him, they claim, would be physically sending troops to Venezuela, something they consider unlikely. "The calculation for Maduro is that he will always be safer here than anywhere else," Phil Gunson, analyst for the International Crisis Group, told the outlet.
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