Donald Trump delivered a stark ultimatum to embattled Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, warning he could save himself and his family if he relinquished power and fled the country at once, the Telegraph has revealed. The high-stakes phone call between the two leaders came amid escalating tensions between Washington and Caracas.
During the dramatic exchange, Maduro reportedly pleaded with Trump, expressing willingness to abandon his post provided he and his family members were granted full legal amnesty, according to Reuters. The US president acknowledged the conversation took place last month, offering a measured assessment: “I wouldn’t say it went well or badly, it was a phone call.”
Washington’s non-negotiable demands
The Telegraph reports that Trump, joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, presented Maduro with an uncompromising message during the call. The embattled Venezuelan leader was told in no uncertain terms that he and his family would be guaranteed safe passage out of Caracas, but only if he resigned immediately.
This ultimatum came just days after the US State Department designated Cartel de los Soles, allegedly run by Maduro himself, as a terrorist organization, further ramping up pressure on the Venezuelan regime.
Maduro’s failed bargaining attempts
Insiders revealed to the Miami Herald that Maduro made several desperate proposals during the call, all of which were swiftly rejected by Washington. First, he sought global amnesty for any crimes committed by himself and his inner circle – a request that was promptly denied.
Next, Maduro attempted to retain control of Venezuela’s armed forces, drawing parallels to the 1991 situation in Nicaragua involving Violeta Chamorro. This too was firmly rebuffed by the US.
The third issue that caused the negotiations to stall was Washington’s unwavering insistence that Maduro step down without delay and leave Venezuela along with his top allies, paving the way for a restoration of democracy.
Despite assurances of safe passage for himself, his wife Cilia Flores, and their son, Maduro ultimately rejected the offer, refusing to relinquish power on Washington’s terms.
As the standoff intensifies, President Trump is set to convene a crucial meeting with key Cabinet members in the Oval Office on Monday to determine the next steps in dealing with Venezuela. CNN reports that top officials, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, Marco Rubio, Susie Wiles, and Stephen Miller, will be in attendance to advise the president.
Tensions reach boiling point
Relations between the US and Venezuela have only deteriorated further in recent days. During his Thanksgiving address to American troops worldwide, Trump ominously hinted at expanding attacks on Venezuelan drug traffickers to include strikes on “land” – a thinly veiled threat of military action on Venezuelan soil.
On Saturday, the US president took the extraordinary step of declaring Venezuelan airspace “closed in its entirety,” despite lacking the authority to do so unilaterally. This move is likely to sow panic among airlines, disrupt travel in Venezuela, and rattle Maduro’s regime.
In a defiant post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY.”
Maduro’s desperate bid for dialogue rebuffed
In the wake of Trump’s airspace declaration, Maduro reportedly made a frantic attempt to initiate a second call with the White House, only to be met with stony silence. Venezuela swiftly condemned Trump’s order as a “colonialist threat” against its sovereignty in an official statement on Saturday.
As the high-stakes showdown between Washington and Caracas reaches a critical juncture, the world watches anxiously to see if Maduro will bow to pressure and relinquish power or cling desperately to his crumbling regime in the face of mounting international opposition.
