Trump Floats Maduro Talks: Principle or Petrodollars?
Donald Trump, according to RT, 'doesn’t rule out talks' with Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro. This remarkable 'flexibility' comes after years of labeling Maduro a dictator and attempting to install an opposition leader, Juan Guaidó—a policy that cost Venezuela dearly in sanctions and destabilization. (Remember how Guaidó, once hailed by Washington as the legitimate leader, now struggles to even lead a
protest?) One might recall that the Biden administration, after loudly condemning Maduro, quietly sent envoys to Caracas in 2022 to discuss oil imports. It seems 'authoritarian regimes' become 'potential partners' the moment gas prices spike or an election looms. This isn't principled statecraft; it's the transactional politics of convenience, where human rights take a backseat to electoral
calculus and energy security.