US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he recently spoke with Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro amid growing tensions between the two countries. The conversation took place via phone call, and no details of what was discussed were revealed.
Washington is ramping up pressure on Venezuela with a significant military buildup in the Caribbean, as well as designating an alleged drug cartel run by Maduro as a terrorist group. Trump warned that Venezuelan airspace is "closed," sparking a backlash from Caracas, which described the US move as a "colonialist threat."
The US claims its military deployment is aimed at curbing drug trafficking in the region, but Venezuela insists that regime change is the ultimate goal. The country's opposition has accused Washington of trying to use force to seize Venezuela's vast oil reserves.
According to reports, Trump and Maduro discussed possible meeting conditions, including amnesty for Maduro if he steps down. However, no concrete evidence has been presented to support these claims, and many experts have questioned their legality.
Trump has acknowledged that the US military conducted follow-up strikes after an initial attack in September, which killed at least 83 people. He denied Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had ordered the death of those two men, but acknowledged he would look into it.
Venezuelan lawmakers and opposition figures have condemned the US actions as "extrajudicial executions." The country's legislature has called for an investigation into these incidents.
The US military buildup in the Caribbean continues to escalate, with the world's largest aircraft carrier deployed to the region. American fighter jets and bombers have repeatedly flown off the Venezuelan coast in recent days.
Washington is ramping up pressure on Venezuela with a significant military buildup in the Caribbean, as well as designating an alleged drug cartel run by Maduro as a terrorist group. Trump warned that Venezuelan airspace is "closed," sparking a backlash from Caracas, which described the US move as a "colonialist threat."
The US claims its military deployment is aimed at curbing drug trafficking in the region, but Venezuela insists that regime change is the ultimate goal. The country's opposition has accused Washington of trying to use force to seize Venezuela's vast oil reserves.
According to reports, Trump and Maduro discussed possible meeting conditions, including amnesty for Maduro if he steps down. However, no concrete evidence has been presented to support these claims, and many experts have questioned their legality.
Trump has acknowledged that the US military conducted follow-up strikes after an initial attack in September, which killed at least 83 people. He denied Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had ordered the death of those two men, but acknowledged he would look into it.
Venezuelan lawmakers and opposition figures have condemned the US actions as "extrajudicial executions." The country's legislature has called for an investigation into these incidents.
The US military buildup in the Caribbean continues to escalate, with the world's largest aircraft carrier deployed to the region. American fighter jets and bombers have repeatedly flown off the Venezuelan coast in recent days.
. like, what even is going on here? Trump's just gonna sit there and let Venezuela burn? 
the US is basically trying to impose some kind of regime change on a country that's already struggling with an economic crisis 
.
. like, what even is that supposed to accomplish? and now Maduro's people are calling out the US for trying to be some kind of colonialist bully 
. it's just so... predictable.
. from the alleged drug cartel thing to the amnesty offer, there's gotta be more to it than meets the eye 
.
. And now the US is deploying the biggest aircraft carrier ever in the Caribbean? That's like throwing fuel on a fire 
. It's hard to see both sides here, I'm not sure if Trump is actually trying to help or just stirring up more chaos 
. One thing's for sure though - innocent lives are getting lost in the crossfire 
.
... feels like a huge escalation in tensions, doesn't it? 
. And now they're talking about amnesty for Maduro if he steps down... it's all so uncertain 
. What are your thoughts on this?
. Venezuela's got its problems, but does that justify external intervention? It feels like the US is trying to strong-arm Maduro into stepping down without even having a clear plan in place.
But come on, where's the proof? This whole thing feels like a setup.
Like, what are they even doing here? Curbing drug trafficking or trying to take over the oil reserves? It sounds like regime change to me... which is super sketchy. 
over phone... meanwhile, they're also sending in the big guns - literally, with a huge aircraft carrier and fighter jets 
... it's not like they're trying to provoke anyone or anything 
... just saying. And good luck with that amnesty thing, Trump - I'm sure Maduro will totally be all about stepping down if the US offers him a free pass 
. Can't wait to see how this whole situation plays out 
.
. The whole situation is super tense and I don't like how it's escalating into more military action 
. Trump's talk of "closing" Venezuelan airspace seems really aggressive to me and it's just gonna lead to more conflict 
. It's just so sad to see an entire country being hurt by politics 
.
.