Rising Tension in the Caribbean Following Leaked Information About U.S. Deadline for Maduro

SadaNews - Leaked information from Reuters revealed that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro ignored a "safe exit" deadline set for him by U.S. President Donald Trump during a phone call that took place on November 21st. This comes at a time when fears are rising regarding the possibility of U.S. military action against Venezuela.

According to four informed sources, Trump rejected several requests made by Maduro during the brief call. Maduro expressed his willingness to leave the country on the condition that he and his family receive full amnesty, that U.S. sanctions against him be lifted, and that a case pending against him before the International Criminal Court be resolved.

Maduro also requested the lifting of sanctions on more than a hundred Venezuelan officials and for his Vice President Delcy Rodriguez to lead a transitional government before new elections could be held.

However, Trump rejected most of these requests, giving Maduro a week to leave the country with his family to any destination of their choosing. The deadline, according to two sources, expired last Friday, prompting the U.S. President to announce the closure of Venezuelan airspace on Saturday.

In a related context, Trump held a meeting in the Oval Office with his national security team to discuss options for dealing with Venezuela and ways to increase pressure on it, without disclosing the details of those consultations.

Trump had previously confirmed that he spoke with Maduro but refrained from disclosing the content of the call.

These developments come after months of the U.S. escalating its pressure on Venezuela through maritime operations in the Caribbean under the pretext of combating drug trafficking, and repeated threats to expand military operations to include land. Additionally, the group "De Los Solis" was designated by Washington as a foreign terrorist organization, which it claims includes Maduro.

For his part, Maduro affirmed during a public rally in Caracas that he rejects what he described as "the peace of slaves," pointing out that the U.S. military presence in the Caribbean has put Venezuela "on the edge" for 22 weeks.

He said, "We want peace based on sovereignty and freedom, not colonial peace... We have faced 22 weeks of aggression that can be described as psychological terrorism, and the people of Venezuela have proven their love for the homeland."

He added, affirming his loyalty to his supporters and evoking the legacy of Hugo Chavez: "I pledge to you absolute loyalty... I will never let you down."