WASHINGTON — (TNS) President Donald Trump has called off U.S. diplomatic engagement with Venezuela, people familiar with the move said, a decision that favors Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s more hard-line approach and may lead to further military escalation.

Trump told Richard Grenell, a long-time aide who had been leading diplomacy with Venezuela, that he should stop pursuing a deal with Nicolas Maduro’s administration, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly. Grenell had been speaking to Venezuelan officials every few days.

The decision was reported earlier by the New York Times. It marks a victory for Rubio, who had waged a turf war with Grenell and favors a more hard-line approach to the Maduro government. The White

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