WASHINGTON, Dec 02 (AFP): US President Donald Trump summoned his top national security officials to the Oval Office on Monday to discuss Venezuela, as his counterpart Nicolas Maduro rejected a "slave's peace" amid mounting fears of American military action.
The meeting comes as Trump ramps up pressure with a major naval build-up in the Caribbean, bombings of suspected drug-ferrying boats, and ominous warnings to avoid Venezuelan airspace.
"I will confirm that the president will be meeting with his national security team on this subject and on many matters," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told a briefing when asked by AFP about reports of the meeting.
Leavitt would not say whether Trump would reach a final decision after months of tensions with Caracas, saying she was "definitely not going to detail the specifics of the meeting."
But she declined to rule out the possibility of US troops on the ground on Venezuela.Nicolas Maduro
"There's options at the president's disposal that are on the table, and I'll let him speak on those," Leavitt said.
Maduro, who accuses Washington of seeking to topple him, told thousands of supporters at a rally in Caracas that Venezuela does not want a "slave's peace."
"We want peace, but peace with sovereignty, equality, freedom!" said Maduro, who danced on stage with flag-waving supporters during the event. "We do not want a slave's peace, nor the peace of colonies."
The United States has moved the world's largest aircraft carrier and other warships into the region, and designated an alleged drug cartel run by Maduro as a terrorist group as tensions mount with Venezuela.
Washington says the aim of the military deployment launched in September is to curb drug trafficking in the region, but Caracas insists regime change is the ultimate goal.
Trump confirmed Sunday he had recently spoken with Maduro for the first time since returning to office in January, but would not give details.
"I wouldn't say it went well or badly. It was a phone call," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
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