In a wide-ranging interview with the Associated Press, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said he held out hope that he could stay in power after sending his envoy to New York on two separate occasions for highly confidential talks. He said he also invited Elliott Abrams, President Trump’s Washington-based special envoy for Venezuela, to come to Caracas to visit “privately, publicly or secretly.” Maduro said in the interview: “If he wants to meet, just tell me when, where and how and I’ll be there.” An unnamed representative for the U.S. government confirmed the two meetings to the AP, each of which lasted several hours, but implied that they were to discuss Maduro’s “exit plan” and not to reinforce his hold on the country.
