Reuters news agency reported, citing sources, that Trump had a phone call with Maduro on November 21. During the call, the US president rejected most of Maduro’s requests but informed the Venezuelan president that he had a week to leave Venezuela for a destination of his choice with his family. The safe passage deadline expired on Friday. Maduro expressed his readiness to leave Venezuela on the condition that he and his family receive full legal amnesty, including the lifting of all US sanctions and the end of the prominent case he faces at the International Criminal Court.
This comes as Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro swore ‘absolute loyalty’ to the Venezuelan people. Surrounded by senior officials, Maduro addressed a crowd in front of the presidential palace. Tensions between the two countries have escalated due to, among other reasons, US strikes on alleged drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea and Trump’s repeated threats to expand military operations to include land. The Trump administration has been considering classifying the Group of Los Solis, which they claim includes Maduro, as a foreign terrorist organization for months.
Maduro denies any criminal activities.
