In a dramatic escalation of tensions between the United States and Venezuela, President Donald Trump engaged in a direct telephone conversation with Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on November 21, delivering an uncompromising demand for his immediate resignation. According to sources familiar with the exchange, Trump offered safe passage for Maduro and his family in return for stepping down from power.
The Venezuelan president reportedly rejected the ultimatum, countering with a request for comprehensive ‘global amnesty’ protections for himself and key political allies. The Miami Herald first broke details of the high-stakes diplomatic encounter, which Trump later confirmed to reporters while remaining characteristically ambiguous about the conversation’s outcome, stating merely that he ‘wouldn’t say it went well or badly.’
This diplomatic confrontation occurs against a backdrop of intensifying bilateral friction. Since September, U.S. military forces have conducted lethal strikes against vessels suspected of narcotics trafficking in Venezuelan territorial waters. Additionally, Washington has formally designated Venezuela’s alleged ‘Cartel de los Soles’ as a foreign terrorist organization—a characterization Venezuelan authorities dismiss as politically motivated fabrication.
The situation further deteriorated when Trump announced via Truth Social that Venezuelan airspace should be considered ‘closed in its entirety.’ Caracas responded with an official communiqué accusing the United States of violating national sovereignty and attempting to illegally control its aviation territory. The Venezuelan government characterized recent U.S. suspension of repatriation flights for Venezuelan migrants as an act of aggression, noting that 75 previous flights had successfully returned nearly 14,000 citizens. The statement concluded with a firm declaration that Venezuela ‘will not accept orders, threats, or interference from any foreign power.’