Trump admin officials reportedly met secretly with Venezuelan military leaders who were plotting a coup

pulse 01:34 - 09 September 2018

Trump administration officials reportedly met in secret with Venezuelan military officials to discuss plans to overthrow President Nicolás Maduro. A report from the New York Times says officials did not ultimately go through with the coup, the meetings could damage relations with Venezuela.

Officials from President Donald Trump's administration reportedly met secretly with Venezuelan military officials to discuss plans to overthrow President Nicolás Maduro.
Officials did not ultimately go through with the coup, but the meetings could damage the already-tense US relations with Venezuela, according to The New York Times.
Amid an economic tailspin and widespread unrest, Maduro has sought to centralize power and eliminate political opposition.
Trump has previously suggested military intervention against Maduro, and described declining conditions in Venezuela as an administration priority.

Trump administration officials reportedly met secretly with Venezuelan military officials over the last year to discuss plans to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro.

One of the officials identified in the report as part of the meetings is known to US officials as a corrupt officer, The Times reported. The officer and his counterparts have reportedly been accused of torturing critics, jailing political prisoners, drug trafficking, and collaborating with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, which the US has deemed a terrorist organization.

The Times, citing

The Times report suggests its revelation of these secret meetings could have a similar effect.

Maduro was elected despite outcry from nearly a dozen nations, and has grown more unpopular as Venezuela continues in an economic tailspin, experiencing hyperinflation,severe power cuts, andfood and medicine shortages.

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