The US leader’s open acknowledgment is unprecedented and smacks of desperation, the president has said
US President Donald Trump’s public confirmation that he authorized CIA operations inside Venezuela has no precedent and is another sign that he is openly seeking regime change in the Latin American nation, President Nicolas Maduro has said.
This week, Trump confirmed that he had authorized CIA activity in Venezuela, which the US leader said was driven by concerns over Caracas “emptying their prisons” into the US and alleged state-linked drug trafficking. Trump, however, declined to say whether the CIA had authority to “take out” Maduro.
On Thursday, Maduro hit out at the US president, saying that “this has never been seen before.” “They have always done it, but no previous government, since the CIA was established, has ever publicly said that it ordered the CIA to kill, overthrow, and destroy countries,” the Venezuelan president said, calling the announcement “desperate.”
He recalled several Cold War-era coups across Latin America that he attributed to US intelligence, adding that the CIA “declassified documents proving its involvement, even apologizing in some cases.” According to Maduro, “imperialists” in the West are interested in Venezuela due to its resources, such as oil, gas, and gold.
Since the beginning of September, Washington has been pursuing a campaign against alleged drug-running boats, claiming they are linked to Maduro’s government. The US has destroyed at least six vessels in Caribbean waters, with more than two dozen people killed. Maduro has rejected US allegations while ordering Venezuela’s military to prepare for a conflict.
Earlier this month, a New York Times article claimed that Trump ordered his administration to end all diplomatic outreach to Caracas and prepare scenarios for a “potential military escalation,” including an attempt to force Maduro out of power.
Another article by the NYT indicated that Maduro offered the US sweeping economic concessions to ease tensions, but that Washington rejected the deal due to disagreements over the Venezuelan leader’s political future.
Asked on Friday about those reports, Trump claimed that Maduro had “offered everything,” suggesting that “he doesn’t want to f**k around with the United States.”
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