A KEY ally of Venezuela has suddenly abandoned Nicolas Maduro – with the dictator pleading for peace talks in the face of US-led regime change.
Colombia said it would prefer the Venezuelan despot to hand over his power – recognising the looming threat of an American invasion.
With Donald Trump amassing a menacing military build-up on Venezuela’s doorstep, talks of a peaceful transition of government have been swirling in Washington and Caracas.
Both Trump and Maduro are yet to comment on such an arrangement.
But Colombia‘s Foreign Affairs Minister suggested the dictator would greenlight the idea – if his safety is guaranteed.
She said: “Maduro would be inclined to accept it, he could leave without necessarily ending up in prisonsomeone else could come in to lead that transition and allow for elections that are legitimate.”
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Caracas then hit back saying the words had been “decontextualized”.
They said Bogota “respects the sovereignty of the sister nation of Venezuela”.
Colombia also said Maduro’s safe departure would be “the healthiest option” amid surging tensions with the US.
It comes as US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon would have a range of new options after designating the Cartel de los Soles a foreign terrorist organisation.
Hegseth reportedly said the move “brings a whole bunch of new options to the United States”.
The Defence Secretary also said Maduro is “not a legitimately elected leader of Venezuela” and repeated accusations that Maduro is involved in drug trafficking.
Maduro also said earlier this week he was ready to hold face-to-face crunch talks with the Don amid the growing pressure.
The comments hours after Trump said he had not ruled out deploying boots on the ground to the South American nation.
US forces have blitzed more than 20 alleged “narco boats” and killedover 80 people off the coast of Venezuela as part of Trump’s efforts to pile pressure on Maduro.
Hegseth announced the launch of Operation Southern Spear, a new mission that will target narco-terror networks across Latin America.
Though Hegseth gave no details of what the operation would entail, US officials say Southern Spear will aim to dismantle the cartel-militia networks across Venezuela.
It is the clearest signal yet that the US forces are now openly preparing for a military confrontation against Venezuela.
Strikes could target everything from army bases to drug labs, drug trafficking installations, and Maduro’s fierce guerrilla camps.
Maduro has denied the accusations, and counter accused Washington of trying to orchestrate a regime change campaign to topple him.
Last Friday Trump said he had “sort of made up my mind” on Venezuela, suggesting that a decision could come soon amid fears the US is ready to wage a war in the Caribbean.
However on Sunday, he said the US may hold last-minute crunch talks with Maduro to avoid an all-out war.
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Since the outset of his second term, the Don has doubled the despot’s bounty to $50million, and carried out a spate of counternarcotic boat blitzes on vessels allegedly smuggling Venezuelan drugs to the US.
There is mounting speculation that the tyrant could be taken down by a coup from within his own circle – or even assassinated by US forces.