Venezuelan leader extends olive branch to Trump after surprising election outcome
Venezuelan president Maduro makes unexpected friendly gesture towards newly re-elected Trump despite troubled history. Previous harsh policies and rhetoric raise questions about possible diplomatic shift
Earlier this month Nicolas Maduro reached-out to newly re-elected Donald Trump with a surprising message: bilateral relations could become win-win situation
The Venezuelan leaders statement comes as shock given their rocky past relations (during Trumps first term in office 2017-2021) when Washington pushed strong-handed policies against Caracas; including oil-sector sanctions and backing different leadership. These actions hit Venezuelaʼs main money-maker: its oil exports
Last summer Trump made harsh comments about Venezuelan migrants saying they were:
- Drug-dealers
- Criminals
- Murderers
- Rapists
He also promised mass-deportations if elected again; which makes Maduros friendly message even more unexpected. The re-elected president had called Maduro a dictator during his campaign trail
This is a win-win opportunity for a new start
Its unclear how this diplomatic dance will play-out: previous US sanctions still affect Venezuelan economy; while Trumps anti-immigrant stance hasnt changed
