Ask Onix
Maduro signals openness to US negotiations amid rising tensions
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro indicated on Monday he would engage in direct discussions with Trump administration officials, hours after US President Donald Trump refused to dismiss the possibility of deploying ground troops to Venezuela. The exchange follows months of escalating US actions against Maduro's government, including expanded military operations and financial incentives for his capture.
US military and legal pressure intensifies
The Trump administration has accused Maduro-whose 2024 re-election was widely condemned as fraudulent-of leading a drug-trafficking cartel. Maduro denies the claims, countering that Washington seeks to provoke conflict to seize Venezuela's oil reserves. Since Trump's January inauguration for a second term, US measures have included doubling the bounty for Maduro's capture to $50 million and launching Operation Southern Spear, a counternarcotics campaign targeting vessels suspected of transporting drugs from Venezuela to the US.
According to US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, the operation aims to eliminate "narcoterrorists" from the Western Hemisphere. However, over 80 people have died in US strikes on suspected vessels since August, primarily in the Caribbean and Pacific. Legal experts question the operation's legality, citing a lack of public evidence linking the targeted boats to drug trafficking. Meanwhile, the deployment of the USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier has fueled speculation in both countries that the mission's true objective is regime change.
Contradictory signals from Washington
Trump's recent statements have added to the uncertainty. On 3 November, he told CBS, "I don't think so," when asked if the US was heading to war with Venezuela. Yet on Sunday, he left open the possibility of ground troops, stating, "I don't rule out anything," while also expressing willingness to speak directly with Maduro: "I would probably talk to him, yeah. I talk to everybody."
"Dialogue, call, yes; peace, yes; war, no, never, never war."
Nicolás Maduro, 18 November 2025
US designates Venezuelan group as terrorist organization
The US State Department announced on Sunday its intent to classify Cartel de los Soles-the alleged drug-trafficking network led by Maduro-as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), effective 24 November. The delay, combined with Trump's openness to talks, has led analysts to interpret the move as an ultimatum: negotiate or face harsher measures. FTO designation criminalizes material support for the group and commits the US to its "total elimination" as a threat.
Some observers suggest the FTO label could justify US strikes on Venezuelan soil, mirroring the legal rationale used for targeting suspected drug boats in international waters. Critics argue the broader drug flow-much of which crosses the US-Mexico land border-remains largely unaffected by the maritime operations.
Failed negotiations and opposition calls for military defection
Maduro's offer contrasts with past failed mediation efforts. Norwegian-brokered talks in Barbados and earlier Vatican-backed negotiations collapsed without resolving Venezuela's political crisis. Meanwhile, opposition leader María Corina Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, continues to urge the Venezuelan military to abandon Maduro. Operating from hiding to evade arrest, Machado released a "freedom manifesto" on Tuesday, labeling Maduro's government a "criminal structure" and calling for accountability for "crimes against humanity," including the abuse of political prisoners.
Maduro's direct appeal to Americans
In recent public appearances, Maduro has addressed US citizens directly, occasionally speaking-and once singing-in English. His repeated emphasis on dialogue reflects a shift in tone, though analysts note his government has historically rejected concessions in prior negotiations.
What's next
The FTO designation takes effect in six days, coinciding with the deadline implicit in Trump's mixed signals. Maduro's willingness to engage face-to-face could test whether the US prioritizes diplomacy over escalation, as military and legal pressures reach unprecedented levels. The outcome may hinge on whether Venezuela's fractured opposition and security forces respond to Machado's calls for unity-or whether Maduro's overture is met with US conditions he cannot accept.
