United States President Donald Trump has revealed that he talked to the Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on a phone call amid rising tensions between the two countries.
According to CNN, after Trump confirmed a phone call with Maduro, the Venezuelan president made a long-awaited public appearance on Sunday, November 30, ending all the fleeting speculations.
Maduro, who was away from the public eye since Wednesday, attended the annual specialty-coffee awards event in eastern Caracas and presented awards to the winner.
Although he does not make any remarks about the ongoing tension with the United States, while speaking about the economy of the country, he chanted that Venezuela is “indestructible, untouchable, unbeatable.”
The public appearance came moments after Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, when asked about whether the call had taken place, “I don’t want to comment on that, the answer is yes. I wouldn’t say it went well or badly. It was a phone call.”
Neither the Trump administration nor Maduro and senior members of his government have yet revealed the details of the call, but The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal reported that the two leaders spoke earlier in November.
Furthermore, the Miami Herald, citing sources, said that during the call, Maduro asked for two things from Trump: amnesty for his crimes and control of the military if he allowed free elections. But the Republican president rejected both demands and told Maduro to leave the country immediately.
The US has sent warships and 15,000 troops to the region, claiming to stop drug trafficking, while Venezuela believes the real goal is to remove Maduro from power.
