President Donald Trump has called off United States diplomatic engagement with Venezuela, people familiar with the move said, a decision that favours Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s more hardline approach and may lead to further military escalation.
Trump told Richard Grenell, a longtime aide who had been leading diplomacy with Venezuela, that he should stop pursuing a deal with Nicolas Maduro’s administration, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because they weren’t authorised to speak publicly. Grenell had been speaking to Venezuelan officials every few days. — TCA
