WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump met with top national security advisors on Monday evening to discuss potential next steps regarding Venezuela, including the possibility of a land attack. The meeting was prompted by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s reported refusal to comply with a White House ultimatum to relinquish power.
President Trump had reportedly set a deadline for Maduro to step down last Friday, following a November 21 phone call between the two leaders. During the call, Trump allegedly offered safety for Maduro and his family if he agreed to resign immediately.
However, media reports indicate that Maduro declined the offer, instead demanding “global amnesty” for himself and others, and possibly being allowed to retain control of the military if he were to step down.
The White House has intensified a pressure campaign against the regime, marked by a military buildup in the Caribbean Sea that has deployed around a dozen warships and 15,000 troops since August. The Trump administration has publicly maintained that the mobilization is part of a counter-narcotics effort to target “narco-terrorists” in the region.
The President recently hinted at an escalation, stating on Thanksgiving that the U.S. could “very soon” begin land-based actions to target drug trafficking networks in Venezuela.
Despite the rhetoric, some analysts remain skeptical that President Trump will order a military invasion. Critics have also questioned the administration’s stated motive, with one political science professor calling the drug trafficking argument “exceptionally flimsy.” (Xinhua)