VENEZUELA'S VECTOR VENEERINGS

PRESIDENT Nicolas Maduro has invited a US special envoy in Venezuela after revealing in an AP  interview on Thursday that his foreign minister recently held secret talks with the US official in New York.

A senior Venezuelan official said the second of the two meetings took place on Feb 11 - four days after the envoy Eliot Abrams, said the ''time for dialogue with Maduro had long passed,'' and as the Trump administration publicly backed an effort -

To unseat embattled Venezuelan President. The official spoke anonymously  because he was not authorized to  discuss the talks.

Even while harshly criticizing Donald Trump's confrontational stance toward the  socialist government, Maduro  said he holds out hope for a meeting the US president soon to to resolve a crisis over America's recognition of opponent Juan Guaido as Venezuela's rightful leader.

Maduro said that while in New York, his foreign minister invited Abrams to come  to Venezuela  ''privately, publicly, or secretly.''

''If he wants to meet, just tell me when and how and I'll be there,'' Maduro said without providing more details.

He said both New York meetings lasted several hours.There was no immediate US comment.

Venezuela is plunging deeper into a  political chaos triggered by US demand that Maduro step down a month into second term that the US and its allies in Latin America consider illegitimate.

His opponent the  35-year old  Guaido, burst onto the political stage in January is the first viable challenge in years to Maduro's hold in power.
[Agencies]

The honor and Serving pf the latest Operational Research  on  Venezuela and Crisis continues.