Trump says he would consider meeting Venezuela's Maduro after failing to oust him

US President Donald Trump said that he would consider meeting Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro after his “maximum pressure” campaign to oust him. In an interview with online news site Axios, Trump said that Maduro would like to meet and he may consider it since he’s never opposed to meetings.

Trump administration has been trying to unseat Maduro through sanctions and diplomacy and recognise opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country’s legitimate leader. However, the latest comment of US President is being considered as signal to a change in stance after failing to unseat the socialist President.

Guaido has emerged as a challenger for the Maduro regime after he took the oath of office in January 2019, declaring himself interim president of the South American nation. He promised to end to the “usurpation” Maduro, called for the creation of a transitional government and free elections. He received support from the United States and many Latin countries like Brazil and Colombia.

Read: Venezuela: Opposition Raid To Remove Maduro Foiled, US Democrats Question Trump

Allegations of planning a coup

Maduro has repeatedly accused Guaido of planning a coup with the help of the US and European countries, especially after authorities arrested ex-Green Beret for an alleged failed attack to overthrow the incumbent President. The Venezuelan President had said that the authorities seized US passports from the arrested people which belonged to Airan Berry, 41, and Luke Denman, 34.

Trump denied the government’s involvement in what Venezuela called a failed armed incursion and captured two American “mercenaries”. The US State Department lashed out at Maduro for allegedly cooking up a “melodrama” to distract people from problems inside crisis-hit Venezuela. 

A State Department spokesperson reportedly said that there is a “major disinformation campaign” underway in Venezuela which is making it difficult to separate facts from propaganda. Referring to alleged “falsehoods and manipulation” by the Maduro regime, the State Department denied any involvement and asked not to take it at face value. It accused Maduro of “highly questionable representation of the details” and distortion of facts.

Read: Iranian Ship En Route To Venezuela Signals Ongoing Alliance