Tension between the United States and Venezuela led “elements within the Cuban regime” to contact Washington about what the region would be like without dictator Nicolás Maduro leading the South American country, two sources told Reuters news agency.
The sources, who asked to remain anonymous to describe provisional information, declined to say who specifically from Cuba had contacted the United States.
“Elements within have contacted the US,” said a source briefed on the matter. “There was an argument between the two [países] about what the world would be like without a regime of .”
A second source confirmed the contacts, but neither source provided further details.
Cuba issued a statement on November 25 accusing the US of seeking a violent overthrow and called the US military buildup in the region an “exaggerated and aggressive” threat.
The escalation of US firepower in the Latin American region includes, in addition to eight warships, a nuclear submarine and F-35 aircraft.
In the statement, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez said it would be extremely dangerous and irresponsible for the US to overthrow Maduro’s government, as well as being a violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations.
US President Donald Trump recently spoke with Maduro, but refused to give details of this conversation.
Reuters reported on Monday, citing four sources familiar with the call, that Maduro told Trump he was willing to leave Venezuela if he and his family were given amnesty legal total, including the removal of US assessments and the end of a landmark case at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The call came after months of U.S. pressure on Venezuela, including attacks on suspected drug smuggling ships, threats of military action and the designation of it as a foreign terrorist group.
