WASHINGTON — Administration officials met secretly with Venezuelan military officers to discuss plans to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro but eventually decided not to help, The New York Times reported on Saturday. The Times, citing unnamed American officials and a former Venezuelan military commander who took part in the secret talks, said the coup plans stalled. The Venezuelan military commander is one of many on the US government’s list of sanctioned Venezuelan officials accused of serious crimes, according to the Times. The former commander told the Times at least three factions within the Venezuelan military were plotting against the Maduro government. The former Venezuelan commander told the Times that the officers never sought US military intervention: “I never agreed, nor did they propose, to do a joint operation,” he told the newspaper.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer September 09, 2018 23:15 UTC