Trump Had a Phone Call With Maduro, Told Him to Resign Immediately

U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly had a call with Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, in which he issued an ultimatum telling him to resign immediately in exchange for safe passage for himself and his family.

Maduro declined and instead asked for “global amnesty” for himself and top allies, as reported by the Miami Herald.

The call is believed to have taken place on November 21. On Sunday, Trump confirmed the conversation but offered little detail, telling reporters, “I wouldn’t say it went well or badly, it was a phone call.”

The exchange comes amid rising tensions between the two countries. Since September, U.S. forces have carried out deadly strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats off Venezuela’s coast. Washington also labelled Venezuela’s alleged Cartel de los Soles a foreign terrorist organisation.

Venezuela has dismissed the accusations as politically motivated.

On Saturday, Trump posted on Truth Social that Venezuelan airspace should be considered “closed in its entirety.” In response, Venezuela issued a formal statement accusing the U.S. of threatening its sovereignty and attempting to control its airspace. The government said it would not accept foreign interference and warned that the U.S. had suspended repatriation flights for Venezuelan migrants.

The statement read: “Through this action, the government of the United States has unilaterally suspended the regular weekly flights that had been operating as part of the repatriation of Venezuelans… To date, 75 flights have been made to repatriate 13,956 Venezuelan migrants.”

Venezuela called the move an act of “aggression” and warned it “will not accept orders, threats, or interference from any foreign power.”