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President Donald Trump on Sunday confirmed he spoke recently with Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, but declined to reveal details following a report that he urged the embattled president to leave the country to protect himself and his family.
“I don’t want to comment on it. The answer is yes,” President Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One when asked whether he had spoken with Maduro.
The Miami Herald, citing unnamed sources, reported that Trump warned Maduro that “you can save yourself and those closest to you, but you must leave the country now.” According to the report, President Trump offered safe passage for Maduro, his wife Cilia Flores, and his son, but only if they exited Venezuela immediately.
The call was reportedly arranged with assistance from Brazil, Qatar and Turkey as part of a last-minute diplomatic effort to avoid further escalation. The discussion broke down, the Herald reported, after the United States refused three conditions sought by Maduro’s inner circle.
The conditions reportedly included sweeping global amnesty for crimes Washington attributes to the Cartel de los Soles, a transition model similar to Nicaragua’s that would allow the regime to keep control of the armed forces and a delayed resignation framework.
With negotiations stalled, President Trump has moved to increase pressure on Venezuela. He declared the South American nation’s airspace “closed in its entirety” last week and said U.S. land-based operations aimed at combating drug-trafficking networks tied to Venezuela would begin “very soon.”
The Trump administration has also designated the Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. U.S. officials say the group is led by Maduro and senior Venezuelan officials, with the move meaning that the government to use expanded counterterrorism authorities.
A growing U.S. military presence has now gathered near Venezuela, including the USS Gerald R. Ford, more than 10 warships, a nuclear submarine and F-35 fighter jets. The buildup has heightened concerns among regional governments about the possibility of a direct confrontation amid rising tensions.
