Trump Plans Direct Talks with Maduro Amid U.S.-Venezuela Tensions

US President Donald Trump intends to hold a personal meeting with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. This was reported on November 15 by a source, stating that “Trump informed his advisers that he plans to speak directly with Nicolas Maduro, despite the fact that on Monday the United States recognized the Venezuelan president as the head of a terrorist organization,” the publication says. It is noted that the decision of the American leader may indicate that direct military action on land is no longer inevitable. The tension around Venezuela is growing due to the US position. What the media is writing: On November 16, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of leading the Los Soles drug cartel and said that the State Department intends to recognize the group as a foreign terrorist organization. He noted that the cartel had bribed Venezuelan state institutions and was responsible for “terrorist violence.” Later, on November 24, Venezuela rejected the U.S. plan to recognize the Los Soles cartel as a terrorist organization.