Trump asked about invading Venezuela during dinner, says Temer

Michel Temer (MDB) said that Donald Trump (Republican Party) asked him, during a dinner with Latin American leaders, “When are you going to invade Venezuela?” The former Brazilian president reported the episode in an interview with Estadão. The scene took place on September 18, 2017, on the eve of the opening of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The question was asked during a gala event and was addressed to Temer and the presidents of Argentina (Mauricio Macri), Colombia (Juan Manuel Santos) and Panama (Juan Carlos Varela). Trump seemed nervous when doing so, according to the former Brazilian president’s account.

“It was the first question he asked. There was a certain embarrassment, but everyone said: ‘Look, president, we are taking diplomatic steps'”, Temer said.

The question was asked during Trump’s first term in the United States. In his 2nd term, on January 3, 2026, the North American president announced the capture and deposition of Nicolás Maduro (PSUV, left) from the leadership of Venezuela.

According to Temer, the presidents present said they had a good relationship with Venezuela and the Venezuelan people, although they rejected the Maduro regime. The group argued that, for this reason, Venezuela had been suspended from Mercosur.

In his speech to all the guests at that dinner, Trump stated that the United States was ready to adopt “additional actions” against the Maduro government. According to Temer, in the private conversation with the Latin American presidents, however, the North American agreed that the diplomatic route was preferable to military intervention.