Trump Nuanced his Comments on Meeting Maduro, After Venezuelan Opposition Entered Panic Mode
US President Donald Trump wrote Monday morning on his Twitter account that he would only hold a meeting with his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolás Maduro, to discuss his “peaceful exit from power.” In his tweet, Trump stressed that, unlike “the radical left”, he will “always be against socialism,” on the side of freedom” and “against the oppressive Maduro regime.” This is somewhat contradictory especially because of his high level peace talks with North Korean (DPRK) Kim Jong-un, the leader of a socialist country.
Unlike the radical left, I will ALWAYS stand against socialism and with the people of Venezuela. My Admin has always stood on the side of FREEDOM and LIBERTY and against the oppressive Maduro regime! I would only meet with Maduro to discuss one thing: a peaceful exit from power!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 22, 2020
Trump made this clarification regarding an interview granted last Friday where he stated, without specifying the topic to be discussed, that he would be willing to meet with the Venezuelan president. “Maybe, I think. Maduro would like to meet. And I never object to meetings,” the website Axios reported. His words caused immense controversy in Venezuela, because “Trump also indicated that he does not have much confidence in Guaidó,” after his failure to overthrow the legitimate Venezuelan President, according to Axios.
RELATED CONTENT: If Trump is Thinking About a Meeting With Maduro, What About Trudeau?
The president assured in that interview that, although his government recognizes the self-proclamation of the Venezuelan opposition deputy Juan Guaidó as president of that country, he “was not necessarily in favor” of having chosen him, despite him being “the chosen one.”
This caused comments of disappointment and disbelief among numerous anti-Chavistas on social media. Later Monday, Kayleigh McEnany, a White House spokeswoman, issued statements and, after reading Trump’s tweet, stated that “Trump has not lost confidence in Guaidó. Nothing has changed, “in what appears to be damage control” following the statements of the White House’s occupant.
Trump envía duro mensaje a Juan Guaidó y a la oposición venezolana: no confía en ellos. Sopesa reunión con Maduro, pero las consecuencias electorales de negociar con el narco-régimen pueden ser devastadoras. https://t.co/vqdMtizRBu
— CastoOcando.com (@cocando) June 21, 2020
¿Le retira el apoyo? Trump dice que duda de Guaidó y podría reunirse con Maduro https://t.co/JwQ8WS16kj… ..
— DolarToday® (@DolarToday) June 22, 2020
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With this opinion on the Maduro government, Trump puts an end to media speculation about a possible rapprochement between Washington and Caracas, due to the fact that the Venezuelan president has been emphatic in affirming that he is not willing to negotiate his departure from office which, according to the Venezuelan constitution, he will occupy until 2025.
A political expert consulted by Orinoco Tribune told us that, under current US political circumstances when Trump’s re-election is jeopardized by his mismanagement of the US Covid-19 catastrophe and the George Floyd uprising, Trump’s biggest success will be to secure the votes in Florida traditionally controlled by ultra-conservative anti-Cuban and anti-Venezuelan forces.
“That might be the reason behind Trump’s backpedaling but in fact — at least under current circumstances — that won’t avoid his defeat in the presidential elections and, even assuming that all voters in Florida are represented by the ultra-conservative groups of power, voter preference has its flows due the fact that the new generations of Cubans are less radical in politics and that explains Obamas’s victory in Florida in 2012,” the expert added.
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