Venezuela’s Maduro Offers Face-to-Face Talks with U.S.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro says he is willing to meet face-to-face with U.S. officials amid rising tensions.

Maduro insists Venezuela seeks peace, even as he ordered nearly 200,000 troops to mobilise. On state television, he declared, “Whoever wants to talk to Venezuela can do it. Face to face… Dialogue. Call? Yes. Peace? Yes. War? No. Never, never war.”

President Trump has sent mixed signals, telling CBS News he does not expect war but later refusing to rule out sending troops. Asked if he would speak directly with Maduro, Trump replied he “probably would”, adding, “I talk to everybody.”

Since January, U.S. pressure has increased, including a $50 million reward for Maduro’s capture and airstrikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific that have killed more than 80 people.

The USS Gerald Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, is now deployed nearby, fuelling speculation of possible military action. The move follows President Trump’s claim that Maduro runs a drug trafficking organisation. An allegation Maduro rejects, while accusing the U.S. of seeking control over Venezuela’s oil and provoking conflict.

Meanwhile, opposition leader María Corina Machado has resurfaced with a “freedom manifesto”, outlining her vision for a post-Maduro Venezuela and demanding accountability for alleged human rights abuses.