In the midst of a climate of friction with Washington and under the shadow of an extensive US military deployment in the Caribbean, Nicolás Maduro headed in the Miraflores Palace a religious act with a political tone. During the “Binational Meeting of Prayer for Peace”, broadcast on a state network, the president proclaimed to Jesus Christ as “lord and owner” of Venezuela and declared the presidential headquarters as “a great altar of prayer.”
Accompanied by evangelical pastors, the first lady Cilia Flores y Nicolás Maduro Guerra —son of the Chavista autocrat and in charge of religious affairs—, the president read a manifesto with which he reaffirmed his personal adherence to the Christian faith. He maintained that he recognizes “the only real and true God” and that, as a citizen and head of state, he is “radicalized with Christ,” while recalling that the Constitution guarantees freedom of worship.
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They reject Nicolás Maduro’s plan
The religious message coincided with revelations published by The New York Times about informal contacts between Caracas and Washington. According to the newspaper, Maduro would have asked the White House a transition of two to three years that would conclude with his resignation, an offer rejected by US officials who consider it unacceptable to prolong his stay in power.
The report adds that the then president Donald Trump would have authorized covert plans of the CIA aimed at preparing “the battlefield” and which, in parallel, allowed the resumption of indirect communication channels with the Venezuelan government.
The military context adds pressure: under the “Operation Southern Lance”, the United States maintains its largest naval deployment in the Caribbean since the 1990s. 1960including the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford and thousands of troops.
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Since August, the Southern Command It has carried out at least 21 attacks against vessels accused of drug trafficking. In addition, Washington announced that it will appoint the Poster of the Suns as a foreign terrorist organization, alleging links to high-ranking Venezuelan officials.
Maduro described the US strategy as a threat, warned that a military attack would mean the “political end” of Trump and reiterated his willingness for direct dialogue.