PNN – An American media outlet assessed the president’s strategy towards Venezuela as ambiguous and considered pressure on Caracas to be the ultimate goal of all scenarios of the Donald Trump administration.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, the American newspaper The New York Times wrote in a report on developments in the Caribbean Sea: By issuing new authorizations to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), US President Donald Trump has paved the way for a series of covert operations in Venezuela, while simultaneously reactivating covert communication channels with the government of President Nicolas Maduro.
Based on this report, simultaneously with the deployment of the largest American aircraft carrier in the Caribbean Sea, Trump has agreed to a set of measures to increase pressure on the Venezuelan government and to implement military scenarios.
Sources informed told The New York Times that Trump has given the green light to the CIA’s plans for covert actions inside Venezuela; actions that could be considered preparation for future operations. However, Trump has not yet agreed to the deployment of combat forces to Venezuelan soil. According to informed sources, the possible covert actions will include sabotage, cyber, psychological, and intelligence operations.
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Resumption of secret talks with Maduro
At the same time, the White House has begun a new round of behind-the-scenes negotiations with the Maduro government; negotiations that had been briefly suspended last month.
The New York Times assessed Trump’s approach regarding Venezuela as ambiguous and wrote that it is unclear when exactly the covert actions will be carried out or what Trump is pursuing. Whether he is seeking a diplomatic agreement for the access of American companies to Venezuela’s oil resources, or an agreement for Maduro’s voluntary resignation, or whether he is pursuing a scenario of applying military pressure.
Military options on the table
This American newspaper wrote that the Pentagon’s plan includes a list of potential targets for attack, from facilities related to drug trafficking to military units close to Maduro. Last week, Trump held two meetings in the White House Situation Room to review possible options regarding Venezuela.
According to this report, any covert CIA action will likely be carried out before possible military strikes. The White House and the CIA have refrained from commenting on this decision.
Escalation of political and military pressure
Simultaneously with the increase of the American military presence in the region, known as “Southern Spear Operation,” the aircraft carrier “Gerald R. Ford” has entered the Caribbean in recent days, and the number of American forces in the region has reached 15,000. This is the most extensive military deployment by Washington in the Caribbean since the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.
The U.S. State Department has also announced that from November 24, it will designate the “Cartel de los Soles” as a terrorist organization; a label attributed to parts of the Maduro government and one that could pave the way for military action.
Attack on smuggling vessels
U.S. government officials have claimed that so far 21 attacks have been carried out on vessels that, according to Washington, were carrying drugs; attacks that have left at least 83 people dead. However, U.S. military officials have acknowledged in classified sessions with Congress that the vessels were carrying cocaine, not fentanyl as Trump had previously claimed.
These attacks have been carried out without congressional authorization and have faced widespread criticism from legal experts and Democratic lawmakers, who say Washington is targeting civilians.
Ambiguity in Trump’s ultimate goal
According to The New York Times, the U.S. president has not yet determined his ultimate goal regarding Venezuela. While he often refers in his speeches to Venezuela’s role in drug trafficking and illegal migration, informed sources say that in private meetings, Trump has spoken more about Venezuela’s vast oil reserves and the possibility of American energy companies gaining access to them.
This American media reported Maduro’s resistance to the U.S. demand for resignation and wrote that despite this deadlock, informed officials say a diplomatic solution is still possible.
The policy of “increasing pressure” continues
Despite the lack of a final decision, the U.S. government has adopted a strategy of increasing pressure on Maduro, while simultaneously reviewing multiple military and intelligence options for various scenarios. Trump has also emphasized in his recent remarks that he “does not rule out any option.”