Trump and Maduro Chat on the Phone: What's Really Going On?

In a surprising turn of events, U. S. President Donald Trump had a phone conversation with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro last week. This chat happened just before Maduro was labeled as a key figure in a group the U. S. sees as a terrorist organization. The talk included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and touched on the idea of a future meeting between Trump and Maduro, but nothing is set in stone yet. The U. S. has been beefing up its military presence in the Caribbean, saying it's to stop drug trafficking. But many believe it's also about pushing Maduro out of power, maybe even by force. This makes the phone call even more interesting because the U. S. has been pretty tough on Maduro lately. Back in October, Maduro reportedly offered the U. S. big deals in Venezuela's oil fields to ease tensions. But the U. S. wasn't having it and ended those talks early last month. So, why the sudden phone call? It's anyone's guess. The White House isn't saying much about the call, and the Venezuelan government didn't respond to requests for comment. But two people close to the Venezuelan government confirmed that the call happened. They just didn't want their names out there because they're not allowed to talk publicly. This whole situation is a bit confusing. On one hand, the U. S. is building up its military presence and labeling Maduro as part of a terrorist organization. On the other hand, Trump is having a friendly chat with him. It's hard to say what this means for the future of U. S. -Venezuela relations.