President Donald Trump confirmed Sunday that he spoke with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro but declined to say what the two discussed, even as Washington escalates military and diplomatic pressure on Caracas.
Trump Confirms Call With Maduro, Offers Few Details
According to Reuters, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump was asked if he had talked to Maduro and replied, "I don't want to comment on it. The answer is yes." He added about the conversation, "I wouldn't say it went well or badly, it was a phone call."
The New York Times first reported last week that the leaders spoke in November and discussed a possible meeting in the United States.
Airspace Warning Fuels Anxiety And War Powers Debate
The revelation comes as Trump mixes confrontational language with hints of diplomacy. On Saturday, he warned on social media that the airspace above and around Venezuela should be considered "closed in its entirety," without explaining how the order would be enforced, fueling anxiety in Caracas.
When asked if the airspace remark signaled imminent strikes, Trump told reporters, "Don't read anything into it." Venezuela's government denounced the move as a "colonialist threat,” while Senate Democrats raised fresh War Powers concerns.
Military Options, Drug Allegations Raise Fears Of Escalation
U.S. officials say they are weighing options to counter Maduro's role in sending illegal drugs that kill Americans, an allegation Maduro rejects. Reuters has reported that steps under consideration include trying to oust Maduro and preparing a new phase of operations after a major military buildup in the Caribbean and months of strikes on suspected drug boats off Venezuela's coast.
Human rights organizations, UN experts and some U.S. allies have condemned the boat strikes as illegal extrajudicial killings and warned they may violate international law. Trump said he would look into allegations that U.S. forces carried out a second strike in September that killed survivors of an initial attack, saying he would not have wanted such an operation.
Trump told U.S. service members last week that land operations to stop suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers would begin "very soon," deepening fears of further escalation.
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