'Trump said to have spoken to Maduro last week: NYT'

 US President Donald Trump and Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro spoke by phone last week about arranging a future encounter, according to people familiar with the exchange, as reported by The New York Times on Friday.

Sources said the call happened late in the week and touched on a potential face-to-face meeting in the United States, though no concrete plans currently exist. The conversation, which also involved State Secretary Marco Rubio, came just days before the administration's move to classify Maduro as the head of what it labels a foreign terrorist organization, the Cartel de los Soles.

Both the White House and Maduro's government declined to comment publicly, but individuals close to Caracas confirmed that direct communication did occur. If verified, the call would have taken place as Washington takes a harder line in the region, including warnings of more military action and steps to reinforce its presence near Venezuela.

https://breakingthenews.net/Article/Trump-said-to-have-spoken-to-Maduro-last-week/65267984