President Donald Trump urged Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro to flee the country with his family immediately during a call last week, a new report has claimed.
During the call, the far-left leader demanded to retain control of Venezuela’s military if he allowed free elections to take place, according to the Miami Herald.
Mr Maduro is also believed to have requested to be granted global amnesty for all of his alleged crimes.
However, the President is said to have rejected the demands before urging the Venezuelan dictator to leave the country with his family immediately.
President Donald Trump urged Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro to flee the country with his family immediately
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A source familiar with the tense call said: “First, Maduro asked for global amnesty for any crimes he and his group had committed, and that was rejected.
“Second, they asked to retain control of the armed forces – similar to what happened in Nicaragua in ’91 with Violeta Chamorro.
“In return, they would allow free elections.”
The talks between the two leaders is understood to have quickly broken down.
Mr Maduro is believed to have requested to be granted global amnesty for all of his alleged crimes
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REUTERSRepublican congressman Dave McCormick said that the “war” with Venezuela had already been deadlier for the US than Vietnam.
He told Fox News: “We have a war that’s coming through fentanyl, through opioids, through cocaine.
““It killed 100,000 Americans last year…That’s twice the number of people that died in eight years of Vietnam.”
In August, the US offered a $50million (£37million) reward for information leading to the arrest of Mr Maduro.
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Dave McCormick said that the ‘war’ with Venezuela had already been deadlier for the US than Vietnam
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US Attorney General Pam Bondi previously accused the dictator of collaborating with violent groups including organised crime group Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa drug cartel.
Ms Bondi said: “Maduro uses foreign terrorist organisations like Tren de Aragua, Sinaloa and Cartel of the Suns to bring deadly violence to our country.
“He is one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world and a threat to our national security.”
After the talks broke down between the two leaders, Mr Trump increased pressure on Venezuela as he warned that the US would soon target drug-trafficking networks “by land.”
The Trump administration has carried out at least 21 deadly strikes on small Venezuelan boats suspected of drug trafficking
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TRUTH SOCIALMr Trump posted on social media on Saturday, saying Venezuela’s airspace should be considered “closed in its entirety,” sparking concerns over a potential conflict with the South American nation.
It remains unclear how the US would enforce the no-fly order, as it has no authority over Venezuelan airspace.
By Sunday afternoon, a FlightRadar24 map showed no international flights over Venezuela.
Since September, the Trump administration has carried out at least 21 deadly strikes on small Venezuelan boats suspected of drug trafficking.
