Trump Confirms Maduro Call: Diplomacy, But Only When It Suits Us
The Hill reports Donald Trump confirmed a "secret" phone conversation with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. This belated acknowledgment of diplomatic backchannels with an officially sanctioned 'adversary' is framed as a curious anomaly, rather than standard operating procedure when U.S. interests dictate. For years, U.S. policy towards Venezuela has been a masterclass in regime change
attempts, from recognizing 'interim presidents' like Juan Guaidó in 2019 to imposing crippling sanctions on its oil industry, all while condemning Maduro as illegitimate. One might wonder: if direct engagement is now permissible for 'national security interests,' where was this sudden pragmatism when it could have prevented human suffering from sanctions? It appears that 'authoritarian' is a
flexible label, easily overlooked when a former President decides a chat is beneficial—perhaps hinting that principles are merely suggestions in the grand theater of geopolitics.