Written by Andrea Shalal
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy for special duties, Richard Grenell, said on Monday that he had spoken with several officials in Venezuela and would begin meetings early on Tuesday, days after the outgoing Biden administration imposed new sanctions on the government of President Nicolas Maduro. .
“Diplomacy is back,” Grenell said in an X post revealing his initial calls. “Talking is a tactic.”
Grenell, who served as acting intelligence chief at the end of Trump's first term, also plans to meet with Venezuelan opposition officials in Washington on Tuesday, a source familiar with the matter said.
There was no immediate response from the Venezuelan Ministry of Communications to an inquiry about communication with Trump.
During his election campaign, Trump described Maduro as a “dictator” after he pursued a “maximum pressure” campaign against him during his first term from 2017 to 2021, including imposing harsh sanctions on the South American country and its oil industry.
Former President Joe Biden briefly reversed some of the restrictions imposed by Trump after election promises from Maduro, but then restored them, saying the Venezuelan leader had reneged on his pledges to hold a fair, democratic vote.
Maduro and his government have long rejected sanctions imposed by the United States and others, saying they are illegitimate measures that amount to an “economic war” aimed at crippling Venezuela. Maduro and his allies have praised what they say is the country's resilience despite the measures, though they have historically blamed some economic difficulties and shortages on sanctions.
The source told Reuters that Grenell's post reflects Trump's desire to focus on Venezuela early in his second term. Maduro said Trump's re-election provides a “new beginning” for bilateral relations.
One of Trump's core campaign promises was the mass deportation of illegal immigrants, many of whom come from Venezuela. Their return will likely require cooperation from the Venezuelan authorities.
In announcing Grenell's nomination, Trump said he would work in hot spots around the world, including Venezuela and North Korea. Grenell served as Trump's ambassador to Germany, special presidential envoy for peace negotiations in Serbia and Kosovo, and acting director of National Intelligence. During Trump's term from 2017-2021.
Grenell had previous interactions with Maduro associates.
Reuters reported that in 2020 Grenell secretly met with Maduro's representative to try to reach a peaceful exit for the Venezuelan leader from power after most Western countries considered his 2018 re-election a sham, but no agreement was reached.
