Former hostage envoy challenged Trump admin’s depiction of Maduro

Former Particular Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens informed CBS’s “60 Minutes” that he does not essentially take into account Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro a “bloodthirsty drug vendor,” regardless of the Trump administration’s notion of the person.

Carstens, who beforehand served below former President Joe Biden and the primary Trump administration, informed the information program that he was “not shocked” by the information that Maduro had been captured by the US army on Saturday.

Host Scott Pelley requested Carstens if he agreed with the present Trump administration’s violent portrayal of Maduro.

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Former Particular Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens spoke to CBS’ “60 Minutes” in regards to the Trump administration’s army strikes in Venezuela. (Paul Morigi/Getty Photographs)

“I do not assume so,” mentioned Carstens. “And but – let me reply it this fashion. In a way, I may say that I’m not naive to the crimes dedicated by the regime at giant. And naturally, if you’re the president of a rustic, you will have accountability for what occurs – what occurs – in your authorities.”

He continued: “However, I might say that as an individual within the room with President Maduro, my job was to get Individuals again and that may finest be completed by constructing a really human relationship. And in doing so, I didn’t discover him a bloodthirsty maniac. I discovered him a sensible particular person, somebody who wished to seek out methods to unravel the issues his nation was dealing with.”

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Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his spouse had been arrested by the US army on Saturday. (Juan Barreto/AFP by way of Getty Photographs)

Carstens added that he wouldn’t describe Maduro as a global drug vendor primarily based on what he realized in regards to the political chief throughout his time in workplace.

“I feel the nation has clearly needed to cope with medication – and there’s info – I all the time need to be very clear that I can see sure quantities of data and that there’s all the time a wealth of data that I’ve by no means seen or won’t ever see due to classification or compartmentalization. However what I noticed was not essentially a tough core within the drug commerce. And I’m curious to see how the prosecutor goes to show his case,” Carstens mentioned.

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Roger Carstens beforehand negotiated the discharge of hostages with the Maduro authorities. (AP Picture/Cristian Hernandez)

Throughout his time within the Biden administration, Carstens participated in a number of hostage offers with Venezuela, together with one in 2022 by which seven Individuals had been exchanged for 2 cousins ​​of Maduro’s spouse.

Fox Information Digital has contacted the White Home for remark.

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President Donald Trump confirmed the US army assaults on Venezuela on Saturday. He has since mentioned that till a respectable chief replaces Maduro, the US is “going to rule” the nation.