U.S. President Donald Trump says he is open to speaking with Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, signalling potential diplomacy days after Washington labelled him the leader of a foreign terrorist organisation.
00:00U.S. President Donald Trump says he is open to speaking with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro,
00:05a signal of possible diplomacy amid rising tensions between the two countries.
00:10This comes just days after Washington formally designated Maduro as the leader of a foreign terrorist organization.
00:20Trump said both sides have already established contact, with plans underway to set up direct talks between the two leaders.
00:27Tensions have escalated since August, when Trump ordered a military deployment in the Caribbean to target drug cartels and disrupt trafficking routes.
00:36On Monday, the U.S. listed the Venezuelan cartel de los Soles, allegedly led by Maduro and top officials,
00:42as a foreign terrorist organization over its alleged role in smuggling illegal drugs into the U.S.
00:49Since early September, U.S. forces have carried out 21 strikes on vessels it claimed were carrying drugs, killing 83 people.
00:56Trump has also signaled he may expand operations to target suspected trafficking sites inside Venezuela.
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