Tensions between the United States and Venezuela have flared lately as the Pentagon continues to strike civilian boats in international waters, allegedly carrying illegal drugs and headed toward the U.S. coastline. President Donald Trump has also commanded the diplomats in Venezuela to cut off peaceful outreach, paving the way for a potential military escalation.

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Not that striking civilian boats haven’t already inflamed the situation, but this new anti-diplomatic approach could lead to a conflict with attempts to remove Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from power, according to a report by The New York Times. 

The New York Times report claimed that Trump has “grown frustrated” that Maduro would not voluntarily relinquish power and that Venezuelan officials continued to deny involvement in drug trafficking. The paper reported that officials have described multiple military options for escalation, which “could also include plans designed to force Maduro from power.”

This is rich coming from an administration that is stacking up war crimes against Venezuelans.

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Trump has conveyed the instructions to end diplomacy with Venezuela to his special presidential envoy, Richard Grenell. Grenell had been in charge of negotiations with Maduro and his ruling class during a meeting with senior military leaders last week, the NYT reported, adding that there are multiple military options for escalation, which “could also include plans designed to force Maduro from power.”

Before the diplomatic channels were severed, Grenell was attempting to negotiate a deal that would avert a larger conflict and grant American companies access to Venezuelan oil. However, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio found the efforts “unhelpful and creating confusion.”

The U.S. is likely only consumed with power and oil, as is typical of its empire at this point, making military force the only outlet for achieving its goals.

US officials claim the Venezuelan government maintains close ties with the cartels, and have called Maduro “effectively a kingpin of a drug narco state” while refusing to recognize him as a legitimate president. Publicly, however, Trump has denied seeking regime change in the Latin American country. –RT