The United States has offered Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro the opportunity to leave his country for Russia or another destination of his choice, a senior Republican senator revealed on November 30, as President Donald Trump confirmed he had held talks with the embattled autocrat amid an escalating military buildup directed at Caracas.
Markwayne Mullin, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, disclosed the proposal during a CNN interview, stating that Washington had provided Maduro with “an opportunity to leave” peacefully for Russia or an alternative nation. His comments followed Trump’s November 29 declaration that Venezuelan airspace should be regarded as “closed,” as American forces maintain their most substantial Caribbean deployment in over 30 years.
The Oklahoma senator attempted to defuse speculation about immediate military intervention, asserting Trump had “made it very clear we’re not going to put troops into Venezuela” and that Washington’s priority was safeguarding its own coastline. Nevertheless, Trump indicated in recent statements that operations against Venezuelan narcotics trafficking “by land” would commence “very soon.”
Reports emerged late last week that Trump had held a telephone conversation with Maduro, during which the two discussed a potential face-to-face meeting, according to the New York Times. The Wall Street Journal added that their discussion also touched upon amnesty arrangements should the Venezuelan leader agree to resign, with other media reporting he may be eyeing Turkey as a possible exile destination.
Trump on November 30 confirmed the call took place, telling reporters “I wouldn’t say it went well or badly. It was a phone call.”
The latest diplomatic outreach occurs alongside intensifying US military operations. American forces have conducted strikes on suspected drug-running vessels in Caribbean and eastern Pacific waters since September, resulting in at least 83 deaths based on available data.
The US pressure campaign has prompted Maduro to appeal directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin for urgent military assistance, including delivery of 14 missile units and restoration of Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30MK2 fighter aircraft, the Washington Post reported in October. Maduro’s written plea characterised the Su-30 jets as “the most important deterrent” Venezuela possessed “when facing the threat of war,” according to internal US government documents.
Yet analysts question whether Moscow has the capacity or inclination to provide significant assistance given its absorption in Ukraine and cultivation of other, less problematic, regional partnerships such as Nicaragua. “The fact that we’ve moved over 10% of our naval assets to the Caribbean is already a win, in some regards, for Putin,” James Story, a former US ambassador to Venezuela, told the Washington Post. “Our renewed interest in all things Western Hemisphere divides our attention on Ukraine.”
The White House maintains that the leftist authoritarian president leads a drug trafficking network, though independent experts question both the organisation and magnitude of narcotics smuggling through Venezuela. Defence analysts argue the military deployment far exceeds what counter-narcotics operations would require, suggesting regime change as the true objective. The Trump administration designated the “Cartel de Los Soles,” which the US claims is headed by Maduro, as a foreign terrorist organisation earlier this month.
Senator Lindsey Graham wrote on X that Maduro “is an illegitimate leader who has been indicted for drug trafficking in US courts and maintains control of Venezuela by a reign of terror,” adding: “I hear Turkey and Iran are lovely this time of year…”
American military assets now positioned in the region include the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, along with warships, combat aircraft and personnel totalling approximately 15,000. Maduro has denounced the deployment as a strategy to oust him from power.
Whilst Trump lacks jurisdiction over Venezuelan airspace, his pronouncement may influence international carriers. Several airlines suspended Venezuela services earlier this month following a Federal Aviation Administration safety alert, and were subsequently banned by the Maduro regime for aligning themselves with the “US-sponsored aggression against Venezuela.”
The administration’s approach has provoked criticism from Democratic lawmakers. According to the NYT, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement: “President Trump’s reckless actions towards Venezuela are pushing America closer and closer to another costly foreign war. Under our Constitution, Congress has the sole power to declare war — not the president — and Congress has not authorised the use of military force against Venezuela.”
The buildup, however, appears aimed more at fracturing support for Maduro within Venezuela’s military establishment than mounting a full-scale invasion, though the armed forces have shown no signs of wavering. Some analysts question whether Maduro’s circle has any incentive to peacefully surrender power, given the American criminal charges they face. Washington nearly doubled its reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50mn in August.
