A senior American official told Al Jazeera that the Donald Trump administration is seriously considering starting direct talks with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and that Trump personally views this option positively.
The official emphasized, “If direct negotiations with Maduro begin, we will see what the results are and make a decision based on that.”
At the same time, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff traveled to the Caribbean region today to discuss the situation in Venezuela and the operational preparedness of the Southern Command with military commanders.
These developments come as Washington recently placed Maduro and his close associates on a terrorist list on drug trafficking charges, but there are now clear signs of a desire for a direct diplomatic solution with Caracas.
Analysts interpret this approach as a combination of simultaneous military pressure and diplomacy to resolve the Venezuelan crisis.
