Trump Weighs More-Muscular Venezuela Moves on Doubts Over Guaido

By Jennifer Jacobs, Saleha Mohsin, Ben Bartenstein, and Josh Wingrove

December 6, 2019, 10:40 AM CST Updated on December 6, 2019, 11:55 AM CST

President’s top aides consider more aggressive strategies
White House officials have discussed working with Russia


Donald Trump is losing confidence that the Venezuelan opposition leader his administration backed can ever topple Nicolas Maduro’s regime, and the U.S. president’s top aides are now considering new and more aggressive strategies, according to people familiar with the matter.

Vice President Mike Pence led a meeting on Thursday with other senior officials to re-examine the White House’s yearlong push for a democratic transition in the South American nation, four of the people said.

Juan Guaido, the National Assembly leader who declared himself interim president of Venezuela with U.S. backing earlier this year, has so far failed to push out Maduro and American officials are now concerned he may soon lose his official position.

No military option is under consideration, but White House officials have discussed new approaches including an attempt to partner with Russia, a Maduro ally, to ease out the Venezuelan leader, or raising pressure on Cuba, Maduro’s main sponsor.

More:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-12-06/trump-revisits-venezuela-strategy-as-confidence-in-guaido-wanes