WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- The White House on Friday announced the upcoming visit of Chilean President Sebastian Pinera to discuss bilateral ties and the issue of Venezuela later this month.
In a statement, the White House said that U.S. President Donald Trump will welcome Pinera for a working visit on Sept. 28, when they "will build upon the strong partnership between their nations in pursuit of a more prosperous, secure, and democratic Western Hemisphere."
The leaders were expected to discuss a shared commitment to pro-growth policies, combating corrupt and illicit networks, strategic partnerships in energy and cyber security, and efforts to "restore democracy in Venezuela," the statement read.
Members of Lima Group, including Chile, announced earlier this year that the group had decided to withdraw the invitation for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to attend the Summit of the Americas held in Peru in April.
A day later, the U.S. State Department endorsed the decision, as well as the group's rejection of the Venezuelan government's alleged "unilateral" decision to set a date for presidential elections.
Also, several U.S. media outlets reported earlier this month that the Trump administration has talked secretly with rebellious Venezuelan military officers several times to discuss their plans to stage a coup in the South American country.
Trump said in August of last year that he would not rule out a "military option" in Venezuela "if necessary," despite his aides' opposition.
The U.S. side has also announced several rounds of sanctions against Venezuelan government officials ever since.
For its part, Venezuela has slammed the "warmongering" declarations of Trump as "threats to peace" and a "violation" of UN and international laws.
Maduro has also instructed the military to prepare to "shoulder arms" in case of a U.S. invasion.
