Trump Launches a New Phase of Escalation Against Maduro

SadaNews - The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has opened a new phase of escalation against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro through a series of new sanctions.

The U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions on three nephews of Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores, and Panamanian businessman Ramon Carriero Napolitano, who facilitates the shipment of oil products to the Venezuelan government. Additionally, six other oil tankers and the companies registered under their names were added to the U.S. sanctions list.

U.S. reports suggested that Washington's seizure of the oil tanker "Skipper" off the coast of Venezuela may just be the beginning of further seizures of similar ships, as part of a new phase of pressure on the Venezuelan regime, which relies 90% of its economy on oil revenues.

For her part, Colombian Foreign Minister Rosa Villafuerte said: "If leaving (Maduro) power requires him to move to another country or seek asylum, then Colombia would have no reason to refuse him."

Meanwhile, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who is a Nobel Peace Prize laureate of 2025, announced her support for "increased pressure" on President Nicolas Maduro to step down, according to excerpts from an interview she conducted with CBS News that aired on Friday.

In the interview recorded in Oslo and to be broadcast in full on Sunday, Machado stated: "I welcome more pressure until Maduro realizes that he must leave, that his time has come."

This came in response to a question of whether she supports a potential U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, after President Donald Trump threatened Venezuela with ground operations.

The opposition leader confirmed that she has no knowledge of any plans for a possible U.S. intervention.

Socialist leader Nicolas Maduro began his third six-year term after last year's presidential elections, which the opposition asserts it won.

Machado left Venezuela under circumstances that she remains tight-lipped about, arriving in Oslo on Wednesday night, which caused her to miss the ceremony awarding her the Nobel Prize.

She stated: "I will not provide any further information about my trip to Norway," emphasizing the importance of the Nobel Prize for the Venezuelan people.

She added: "This is recognition for a nation that has fought tirelessly and bravely against a criminal and terrorist structure linked to drug trafficking."

Maria Corina Machado, who has decided to live in hiding in Venezuela since August 2024, after days of prevented participation in the presidential elections, continued: "I came to receive this award, and I will return it to the Venezuelan people as soon as possible."