Dec 16 (Reuters) – Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro is welcome to come to Belarus should he leave office, but no such discussions had been held with Maduro, according to quotes from an interview with U.S. channel Newsmax posted on Monday by a Telegram channel linked to Lukashenko’s administration.
Tensions are high between the U.S. and Venezuelan governments, with a large-scale U.S. military buildup in the southern Caribbean, U.S. strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats and comments from U.S. President Donald Trump that land operations may begin soon in Venezuela.
The Venezuelan government has said the U.S. is seeking regime change to take over the country’s vast oil reserves.
(Reporting by Felix Light; Editing by Chris Reese)