Trump Issues Strong Warning to Venezuelan Leader Amid Rising Tensions
Donald Trump strongly criticized Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on Friday, asserting that the leftist ruler had proposed significant concessions to ease hostilities with the U.S.
The U.S. president made the remarks while speaking to journalists at the White House during discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
When questioned about reports claiming Maduro had offered "everything in his country, all the natural resources" to reduce friction, Trump responded: "He's offered everything; you're correct. And you know why? Because he doesn’t want to provoke the United States."
Maduro, who assumed power in 2013, has recently reinforced his security measures and stationed thousands of military personnel across the country. He has also accused Trump of pursuing regime change, a charge the U.S. leader has dismissed.
According to previous reports, Maduro has allegedly proposed sharing Venezuela’s oil and mineral wealth in recent months as pressure from the U.S. intensifies.
Additionally, Venezuelan officials reportedly considered a proposal in which Maduro would eventually step down. Sources indicate that Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez and her brother Jorge, who leads the national assembly, have relayed plans through intermediaries in Qatar to position themselves as a "more acceptable" option to Washington.
The U.S. has confirmed conducting at least five operations against vessels near Venezuela that it claims were involved in drug trafficking, resulting in at least 27 fatalities.
A sixth operation targeted a suspected narcotics vessel in the Caribbean on Thursday, marking what appears to be the first incident with survivors. Reports indicate the crew was rescued and is now detained on a naval ship.
An anonymous source stated that the vessel targeted on Thursday resembled a semi-submersible, similar to those used by traffickers to evade detection.
Trump confirmed to journalists: "We targeted a submarine. This was a vessel specifically designed to transport large quantities of drugs—just so you’re aware."
He added: "This was not an innocent group. Few individuals own submarines, and this was an operation against a drug-laden submarine."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was present, did not contest reports of survivors and stated that more details would follow.
U.S. officials have described some of the deceased in prior operations as Venezuelan nationals, while Colombian President Gustavo Petro suggested others were from his country. In Trinidad, relatives of a man believed killed in a recent strike have demanded proof that he was involved in trafficking.
Venezuela's government has denounced the operations as unlawful acts of aggression and murder.
Trump has defended the actions by stating that the U.S. is in an "armed conflict" with drug cartels, citing the same legal authority used in anti-terrorism efforts.
Read next
Latvia probes Russian drones that crashed near vacant oil sites.
Morning briefing: Latvia probes drones ‘from Russia’ after nocturnal airspace breaches
Latvia is looking into two unmanned aircraft that crossed its border from Russian soil during the night and came down in the east of the country close to a deserted oil‑storage site.
Four vacant tanks were reported damaged,
Rubio set to meet pope in Vatican following Trump criticism of pontiff
The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, will meet Pope Leo at the Vatican on Thursday to try to calm tensions after Donald Trump’s repeated criticisms of the first North American pontiff.
With relations between the Holy See and Washington at an unprecedented low, Rubio is expected to see
Culture contests from Eurovision to Venice Biennale eclipsed by politics
Are the arts being drowned out by politics? A few days before Europe’s biggest cultural week, that impression is hard to shake. The Venice Biennale opens its doors to the public on Saturday, yet the run‑up conversation has centred far more on which national pavilions will be accessible