Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has urged US President Donald Trump to abandon what he called “illegal warmongering” and engage in “serious talks” between the two administrations. The appeal came as questions persist over a reported pre-Christmas CIA drone strike on Venezuelan soil, which would be the first such attack since Washington began a campaign of military pressure in August.
In a pre-recorded television interview, Maduro declined to confirm the apparent US strike, despite Trump stating on Monday that the US had hit a docking facility used by Venezuelan drug-trafficking boats last month. US media reports have claimed the CIA was behind the drone attack.
If confirmed, the strike would mark a significant escalation in a campaign that has already seen the deployment of a large US naval fleet, airstrikes on alleged drug traffickers, a “total blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers, the seizure of two vessels, and the pursuit of a third. Maduro’s call for diplomacy stands in stark contrast to the increasing military pressure from the Trump administration.
The Venezuelan leader’s remarks underscore a deepening standoff between the two nations, with no clear resolution in sight. The White House has yet to respond formally to Maduro’s offer of talks.
