At the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, President Trump raised the possibility of meeting with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro: “I just want to see Venezuela straightened out," adding that Maduro “needs to act a lot more humanely” and reiterating that “all options are on the table.” Trump and Maduro ultimately did not hold a public meeting and the U.S. promised $48 million more to address the humanitarian crisis that Maduro’s dysfunctional authoritarian rule has caused, bringing total U.S. assistance to over $90 million.
The big picture: The Trump administration's policy toward Venezuela is torn between threatening and sanctioning the Maduro government and pledging aid to alleviate regional and human effects of the crisis. It remains uncertain whether Trump will continue to use the incentive of a meeting with the U.S. president to try to persuade Maduro — who has sought to speak with Trump before but been rebuffed — to change his behavior.