By Andrea Shalal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy for special missions, Richard Grenell, said on Monday he had spoken with several Venezuelan officials and would begin meetings as early as Tuesday, days after the outgoing that the administration of Biden the new sanctions on the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

“Diplomacy is back,” Grenell said in an X post revealing his first calls. “Talking is a tactic.”

A source familiar with the matter said Grenell, who served as acting intelligence chief at the end of Trump’s first term, also plans to meet with Venezuelan opposition officials in Washington on Tuesday.

There was no immediate response from Venezuela’s communications ministry to a question about Trump’s outreach.

During his campaign, Trump called Maduro “a dictator” after he pursued a “maximum pressure” campaign against him during his first term from 2017 to 2021, including imposing harsh sanctions on the country. in South America and the oil industry.

Former President Joe Biden briefly rolled back some of the Trump-era restrictions following election promises from Maduro but then reversed them, saying the Venezuelan leader had reneged on promises for a fair democratic vote.

Maduro and his government have consistently rejected the sanctions by the United States and others, saying they are illegitimate measures amounting to an “economic war” designed to defeat Venezuela. Maduro and his allies have cheered what they say is the country’s stability despite the measures, though they have historically blamed some of the economic difficulties and shortcomings on sanctions.

Grenell’s posting reflects Trump’s desire to focus on Venezuela early in his second term, the source told Reuters. Maduro said Trump’s re-election offered a “new start” for bilateral relations.

One of the central promises of Trump’s campaign was the mass deportation of undocumented migrants, most of them from Venezuela. Bringing them back will likely require cooperation from the Venezuelan authorities.

In his announcement about Grenell’s nomination, Trump said he would work on hotspots around the world, including Venezuela and North Korea. during Trump’s 2017-2021 term.

Grenell had previous dealings with associates of Maduro.

Reuters reported that in 2020 Grenell secretly met with a representative of Maduro to try to broker a peaceful exit for the Venezuelan leader from power after his 2018 re-election was deemed a sham by most Western countries, but no agreement has been reached.