Rubio Does Not Rule Out Direct Talks Between Trump and Maduro
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the possibility of direct talks between US President Donald Trump and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has not been completely dismissed, although he left the decision to the president. Rubio made these remarks in response to reporters’ questions at the US State Department headquarters. Without providing specific details, he said that the US president, as seen in previous cases, is willing to engage in dialogue with various parties and does not consider negotiation as conceding an advantage. Rubio added that there is currently no new information about the next course of events and that he is neither optimistic nor pessimistic. According to him, a range of options, including diplomatic ones, are on the president’s table, but the State Department will not comment on them at this stage. This position came following a report by The New York Times at the end of November, which cited sources saying Trump had considered a bilateral meeting with Venezuela’s president. Earlier, Trump had told Fox News that he intended to “soon” enter into negotiations with Maduro. These potential diplomatic moves come amid strained relations between Washington and Caracas. Recently, the US designated the Venezuelan government as a “foreign terrorist organization” and threatened severe responses; this move was rejected by Caracas, which described it as political pressure and hostile behavior. In such an atmosphere, the possibility of direct talks could be seen as an option to reduce tensions, although its prospects remain uncertain.
