Venezuela’s president ready to resign in 18 months, writes CNN

President Donald Trump told reporters he had a phone call with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, but did not delve into the specifics of the call, CNN reports.

“I don’t want to comment on it; the answer is yes,” Trump said. “I wouldn’t say it went well or badly. It was a phone call.”

Trump also told reporters his warning on social media yesterday that Venezuelan airspace should be considered closed was not a signal that an airstrike is imminent.

“Don’t read anything into it,” the president said.

Trump said he made the airspace warning “because we consider Venezuela to be not a very friendly country.”

Moments after Trump confirmed their phone call, Maduro made his first public appearance in days, ending speculation within the country that he had fled.

On Saturday the U.S. president issued a broad directive on social media, warning airlines, pilots and criminal networks to avoid Venezuelan airspace.

“Please consider the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela to be closed in its entirety,” he wrote in a Truth Social post.

Trump’s statement about closing Venezuela’s airspace came amid active efforts by his administration to remove Maduro from office. The publication states that in recent weeks Trump acknowledged he had signed off on plans for the CIA to operate inside Venezuela, aiming to clamp down on illegal flows of migrants and drugs from the South American nation. Trump designated Maduro and his government allies as members of a foreign terrorist organization earlier this week, a move administration officials argue will give the US expanded military options for striking inside Venezuela.

Citing a source familiar with the discussions, CNN writes that during earlier informal talks between the US and Venezuela, Maduro signaled an openness to eventually stepping down, though it would not be for at least 18 months. While some US officials thought this might be a solution, the White House eventually concluded it would only support a plan that saw Maduro’s immediate departure.

Recently, relations between Venezuela and the United States have been strained due to the buildup of American warships and troops in the Caribbean Sea.

The Trump administration has said the goal of sending warships to Venezuela is not only to fight drug traffickers, but also to oust President Nicolas Maduro, whom the United States does not consider a legitimately elected president.