Author: Andrea Shalal
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy for special missions, Richard Grenell, said on Monday he had spoken with several officials in Venezuela and would begin meetings early on Tuesday, days after the outgoing Biden administration imposed new sanctions to the government of President Nicolas Maduro.
“Diplomacy is back,” Grenell said in a post on X revealing his initial calls. “Talk is a tactic.”
A source familiar with the matter said Grenell, who served as acting intelligence chief at the end of Trump’s first term, also planned to meet with Venezuelan opposition officials on Tuesday in Washington.
Venezuela’s communications ministry did not immediately respond to an inquiry about Trump’s approach.
During his campaign, Trump called Maduro a “dictator” after he waged a “maximum pressure” campaign against him during his first term from 2017 to 2021, including imposing harsh sanctions on the South American country and its oil industry.
Former President Joe Biden briefly rolled back some Trump-era restrictions after Maduro’s election promises, but then reinstated them, saying the Venezuelan leader had broken promises of fair democratic elections.
Maduro and his government have always rejected sanctions by the United States and others, saying they are illegitimate measures that amount to “economic warfare” designed to cripple Venezuela. Maduro and his allies have hailed what they say is the country’s resilience despite the measures, although they have historically blamed sanctions for some economic difficulties and shortages.
Grenell’s position reflects Trump’s desire to focus on Venezuela early in his second term, the source told Reuters. Maduro said Trump’s re-election offers a “new beginning” for bilateral relations.
One of Trump’s central campaign promises was the mass deportation of undocumented migrants, many of whom come from Venezuela. Sending them back would likely require the cooperation of the Venezuelan authorities.
In his announcement of Grenell’s nomination, Trump said he would work in hot spots around the world, including Venezuela and North Korea. Grenell served as Trump’s ambassador to Germany, special presidential envoy for Serbia-Kosovo peace talks, and acting director of national intelligence during Trump’s 2017-2021 term.
Grenell has already had interactions with Maduro’s associates.
Reuters reported that in 2020, Grenell met secretly with Maduro’s representative to try to negotiate a peaceful exit for the Venezuelan leader after his 2018 re-election was considered a sham by most Western countries, but no agreement was reached.
