According to the New York Times, Washington's strategy could involve military, psychological and information pressure
</p><div><p>US President Donald Trump has greenlighted additional measures to pressure Venezuela and prepare for a possible broader military campaign, including covert CIA operations targeting the government of President Nicolas Maduro, the New York Times reported, citing US officials.
At the same time, Trump has approved a new round of backchannel negotiations that reportedly led to the Venezuelan president offering to resign after a delay of several years – a proposal the White House rejected, the newspaper said on Monday.
The Pentagon has deployed warships to the Caribbean and carried out controversial attacks on small boats it says are involved in drug smuggling from Venezuela. The White House claims Maduro is an illegitimate cartel-linked ruler, fueling speculation that direct military action could be imminent. Maduro has denied the drug trafficking allegations and warned the US against launching them “a crazy war.”
According to the NYT, even though Trump has not yet sent military forces to Venezuela, Washington’s next steps could well be “sabotage or some type of cyber, psychological or information operations” aimed at increasing pressure on the Maduro government.
Among the reported preparations, US military planners have compiled lists of suspected drug facilities and are considering attacks on military units linked to Maduro. According to the newspaper, Trump convened two meetings in the White House Situation Room last week to discuss Venezuela and evaluate strategies with his senior advisers.
While ordering the CIA to prepare covert operations, Trump simultaneously resumed back-channel negotiations with Maduro after briefly suspending talks last month, sources familiar with the situation told the newspaper.
During these informal talks, Maduro reportedly indicated his willingness to grant U.S. energy companies access to Venezuela’s oil reserves. Trump acknowledged the negotiations on Sunday, stating: “Maybe we’ll have some conversations with Maduro, and we’ll see how that turns out.”
Venezuela has condemned the military buildup as a violation of sovereignty and an attempted coup, putting its military on high alert. Russia recently reaffirmed its support for the country’s leadership in defending its sovereignty.
