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Nicolas Maduro (in Caracas on June 22, 2017) and Donald Trump (August 11, 2017). JIM WATSON, FEDERICO PARRA / AFP

Are there any secret talks between the US administration and the Venezuelan regime? Yes. In any case, that is what the presidents of the two countries affirmed. On the other hand, Washington and Caracas do not have the same reading about the nature of these contacts and even less about their purpose.

Last Sunday, the US news agency Associatied Press (AP) publishes information that immediately gets around the continent's media: a close friend of Donald Trump met Diosdado Cabello , current president of the Constituent Assembly and heavyweight of the Venezuelan regime . According to a senior official in Caracas, other members of the Venezuelan government would also be in contact with Washington.

This revelation has had the effect of a bombshell: the close circle of Nicolas Maduro is it about to let go of the president? False, replied, outraged, Diosdado Cabello who accused AP of " lies ". False, also said in essence President Maduro. Confronting Diosdado Cabello, the head of state confirms that contacts between Washington and Caracas do exist. But these meetings are held expressly with his presidential authorization.

Their goal, explains Nicolas Maduro again: "to regularize the conflict " which pits Venezuela against the United States. This statement raised new questions: would the Trump administration be negotiating with a regime, its pet peeve, which it publicly calls a criminal? False, had to rectify this Wednesday John Bolton, adviser to national security. The members of the Venezuelan regime in discussion with the White House " only talk about the departure of Nicolas Maduro and free elections ," says Bolton on Twitter.

This imbroglio was born from Donald Trump. Tuesday, during one of these very long and informal exchanges that he likes with the media, the president of the United States is questioned, among several subjects, about contacts between the White House and the number two of the Maduro regime ", The president of the Constituent Assembly Diosdado Cabello. " We are in contact. We are talking to several representatives of Venezuela, "" at different levels, "answers Donald Trump. " I do not mean who, but we speak at a very high level. "