Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has acknowledged a recent telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump, saying the exchange was “cordial” and took place about 10 days earlier. He told state television he chose to disclose the call after international outlets reported details and he wanted to avoid what he called “microphone diplomacy.”
Maduro said his experience as foreign minister and his mentorship under the late Hugo Chávez taught him to handle sensitive issues quietly until they are resolved. He described the call as potentially the start of a respectful dialogue and reiterated that Venezuela seeks peace. He declined to provide further specifics, citing prudence and respect, and invoked God and Chávez in expressing hopes for Venezuela’s peace, independence, dignity and future.
President Trump confirmed the conversation but offered few details, saying he had spoken “briefly,” relayed a few points and that ‘‘we’ll see what happens.’’ At a White House briefing he suggested Venezuela was a source of drugs and people being sent to the United States.
The exchange came amid an uptick in U.S. military activity in the region. The administration deployed a U.S. aircraft carrier to the Caribbean, authorised the destruction of vessels it accused of drug-smuggling from Venezuela and other countries, and warned that strikes on Venezuelan territory remained an option. U.S. officials say the measures are aimed at combating drug trafficking.
U.S. estimates indicate Venezuela itself produces little of the world’s cocaine but served as a transit point for roughly 10–13 percent of estimated production in 2020. Maduro has accused the Trump administration of using the anti-drug campaign as a pretext to try to topple his government and seize the country’s oil resources.
Speaking defiantly at a rally in Caracas, Maduro said Venezuela wants peace but only on terms that preserve sovereignty, equality and freedom. He warned against any peace that he characterized as submission or colonial in nature, and reaffirmed his government’s stance against external interference.