U.S. Weighs โOptions forโข maduro’s Exit as Venezuela Tensions Escalate
WASHINGTON – The White House is pursuing a multi-pronged strategy โto pressure Venezuelan President Nicolรกs โMaduro to leave โขpower, ranging from fosteringโฃ internal fractures to directโ negotiation, backed by โขa significant military deployment to the region.โ Officials are confident the show ofโค force – includingโฃ 15,000 soldiers, an operational aircraft carrier, โand F-35 fighters stationed โin Puerto Rico – could trigger a shift in Venezuela without โฃrequiring a military interventionโฃ on Venezuelan soil. This comes โขasโค the U.S. has increased pressure on suspected drugโค trafficking operations in โขthe Caribbean and eastern Pacific, conducting 21 attacks asโ September 2nd,โข resulting in at least โ80 deaths,โ with the frequency escalating โฃfrom weekly to almost โdaily in late October alongsideโ the naval deployment.
sources indicate the Trump โคmanagement is currently evaluating four primary paths forward, with a focus on avoiding โprolonged conflict.
1. Negotiated Exit: The most readily considered option involves facilitating Maduro’sโข exile to a willing host country. Potentialโค destinationsโ discussed include Turkey, Russia, โฃAzerbaijan, and Cuba. According to sources within the โฃNational Security Council, intermediaries representing the Maduro regime have offered to negotiate a โฃleadership change โand potential concessions within the Venezuelan Army. However, both Presidentโข Trump and โขhisโข diplomatic โคteam โhave so far rejected proposals involving current regime figures โlike Jorge and Delcy Rodrรญguez.
2. Leverage Military Pressure: The current military build-up is intended to create internalโ pressure within Venezuela. The Whiteโฃ House believes the exhibitionโ of force can “trigger fractures, discreet negotiations or even an agreed exit” without โฃdirect intervention.โฃ The increased interdiction of suspected drug boats – 21 attacks since September 2ndโค -โข is alsoโข seen as a component of โthis pressure campaign.
3. Democratic Transition (Preferred by Opponents): Democrats in Congress have advocated for a negotiated solution focused on โdismantling Venezuela’s repressive systems, stabilizing theโค economy with โassistance from the IMF โand World Bank, restructuring the โคoil industry, and establishingโค a transitionalโข goverment. While considered the longestโ and most complex path, this option is seen as minimizing โmilitary costs โขfor the United โขStates. โขResolutions attemptingโ to prohibit theโ use of forceโ have been proposed by Democrats, reflecting thisโข preference.
4.Unilateral Action, Excluding Opposition Input: โข President Trump, unlike during his first term,โ has unified his cabinet โaround the current pressure campaign โand has deliberatelyโ chosen not to involveโ Democrats in the process. A source familiar with internalโ deliberations stated this decision is aimed at securing a political win for Republicans by ending theโค Maduro dictatorship.โ This approach stemsโฃ from โconcerns that previousโ negotiations with Maduro, initiated by the bidenโข administration, resulted in concessions – such as the release ofโ aโค Maduro associate andโ the potential resumption of oil licenses – withoutโ achieving a genuine shift in power or โaddressing the โcountry’sโฃ drug trafficking โคissues.
The situation remains fluid, and the White House is closely monitoring developments as it weighsโข its options for โคresolvingโ the crisis in Venezuela.
