Time for negotiations is over: Trump canceled diplomacy with Maduro

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has decided to end diplomatic efforts with Maduro's criminal regime in Venezuela, according to the newspaper The New York Times, which reported this Monday, citing U.S. officials.

The order also instructs the special envoy, Richard Grenell, to halt all contacts and dealings with Caracas. This decision marks a significant shift in the Trump administration's foreign policy toward Venezuela, after several discreet attempts to open channels of dialogue with Nicolás Maduro's regime, which the latter chose to ignore. 

Although Washington never officially recognized Maduro's government, considering only opposition leader Juan Guaidó legitimate, some sectors of the U.S. executive had promoted exploratory contacts to seek a negotiated solution to the political, economic, and humanitarian crisis affecting the Caribbean country.

Maduro denounces an attempted overthrow

However, the abrupt end of these efforts appears to consolidate a much more combative stance. In August, the United States doubled the reward offered for information leading to the capture of the Chavista dictator to 50 million dollars. 

The White House accuses the Venezuelan dictator of maintaining ties with drug trafficking and transnational criminal organizations, charges that the Venezuelan government hypocritically rejects, labeling them as unfounded and part of a campaign to justify foreign intervention.

Maduro, meanwhile, has repeatedly denounced that Washington "is trying to overthrow him by illegal means" and has linked economic sanctions and diplomatic pressure as part of that alleged plan. 

Trump's decision could also have significant implications in the regional context, especially for neighboring countries such as Colombia and Brazil, which have been key in supporting the Venezuelan opposition until the inauguration of socialist leaders Petro and Lula da Silva, respectively.