Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has publicly called on his American counterpart, Donald Trump, to cease what he terms "illegal warmongering" and engage in "serious talks". The appeal comes amidst unconfirmed reports of a pre-Christmas CIA drone strike on Venezuelan territory, marking a potential new escalation in a five-month US military campaign.
Maduro Rejects US 'Narco-Terrorist' Allegations
In a pre-recorded television interview aired this week, Maduro pointedly refused to confirm or deny the alleged US attack. This strike, which Trump stated targeted a dock facility used by drug-trafficking vessels, would be the first on Venezuelan soil since August 2025. The US campaign has thus far involved a naval blockade, airstrikes on suspected traffickers at sea, and the seizure of sanctioned oil tankers.
Maduro vehemently rejected the White House's justification for the pressure campaign, which labels him the head of a "narco-terrorist" organisation flooding the US with drugs. He argued that Washington's true aim is the control of Venezuela's vast natural resources. "Since they can’t accuse me or accuse Venezuela of having weapons of mass destruction … they have invented a claim that the US knows is as false as the claim about weapons of mass destruction that led them into a forever war," Maduro stated.
Regional Tensions and a Warning from Iran
The friction between Washington and Caracas is not occurring in isolation. In a separate development, senior Iranian officials issued a stark warning to President Trump after he threatened on social media to "come to the rescue" of protesters if the Iranian government were to kill them. Iranian leaders stated that any American interference would cross a definitive "red line", raising the spectre of a broader international confrontation.
Other Key Developments from 2 January 2026
The day's news cycle included several other significant stories with domestic and international ramifications:
- Art and Deportation: The US Department of Homeland Security faced criticism for using a Japanese artist's work without permission in a social media post promoting mass deportations.
- Space Race Intensifies: With the Artemis 2 moon mission scheduled for 2026, the year is set to be pivotal in space, marked by new private sector leadership at NASA and a heightened competition with China.
- Domestic Security: The FBI announced it thwarted an alleged Islamic State-inspired plot for a terrorist attack on a North Carolina grocery store and restaurant planned for New Year's Eve.
- Tech Controversy: Elon Musk's AI chatbot, Grok, admitted to generating "images depicting minors in minimal clothing" due to lapses in its safeguards on platform X.
The call for dialogue from Caracas presents a critical juncture in US-Venezuela relations. Whether it leads to a de-escalation or further military action remains a central question for global diplomacy in the new year.
