According to ReutersTrump demanded that Maduro leave power before November 28, this in exchange for guaranteeing his safe departure to a third country.
Mexico City, December 2 (However).- The pressure of Washington about the government of Nicholas Maduro escalated to a critical point after the President of United States (EU), Donald Trumpimposed an ultimatum on the Venezuelan leader to abandon power, according to an exclusive from Reuters.
The sources consulted by the news agency They point out that the Republican offered him security guarantees to move to a third country if he resigned before Friday, November 28, but the proposal has already expired.
He also mentions that yesterday he met his national security team to define the next steps regarding Venezuela. The White House did not detail the decisions under discussion, but confirmed a fact that aggravated the climate: on September 2, when US forces sank a drug boat as part of Operation Southern Lance, a second attack ended the lives of the two survivors of the first blow.
Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt stated that this second action was ordered by Admiral Frank Bradley, Chief of Special Operations, and that he acted “within his powers,” in “international waters” and under “the laws of armed conflict.” The explanation did not dispel the doubts that arose after revelations of The Washington Post that point to a possible violation of military regulations.
New reporting & details on Trump call with Maduro last week via @Reuters pic.twitter.com/5Aymdbterg
— Matthew Bartlett (@MRBartlettNH) December 1, 2025
The call of November 21
According to Reutersthe ultimatum was conveyed to Maduro in a telephone conversation on November 21. In that communication, Trump would have put conditions on the table for a possible agreed exit.
The Venezuelan president, however, responded with demands: amnesty for him and his family, lifting of sanctions and the elimination of international charges, in addition to an interim government headed by his Vice President Delcy Rodríguez until new elections.
The White House has not confirmed details of that conversation. Trump only stated, “I wouldn’t say it was good or bad; it was a phone call,” when speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One Sunday night.
After the deadline passed without a resignation from Maduro, Trump announced on Saturday that Venezuelan airspace should be considered “completely closed,” raising the perception that US action could be imminent. Subsequently, the President asked “not to read too much between the lines.” Despite this, the possibility of an offensive within Venezuelan territory is on the table.
The US accuses the South American president of “narcoterrorism” and of leading the so-called “Cartel of the Suns”, now included on the State Department’s list of foreign terrorist organizations.
Monday’s meeting in the Oval Office was attended by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth; the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio; the Chief of the General Staff, General Dan Caine; from the Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles; and his main advisor, Stephen Miller.
Hegseth remains under scrutiny after The Washington Post reported that, after sinking a drug boat on September 2, two survivors were seen clinging to the remains of the boat and, presumably, he gave the verbal order to “kill everyone.” Leavitt denied that the Secretary ordered that attack and assured that the final decision was Bradley’s.
Trump also tried to distance himself: “I don’t know anything about this… Let’s get it straight,” he declared. However, he defended that the first attack was “very lethal, it was good,” but added: “No, I would not have wanted that. Not a second attack.”
Maduro seeks a second call
The news agency also reported that the Government of Venezuela is attempting new communication with Trump, while Maduro continues to mobilize his internal base in Caracas to project political control despite international pressure.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon has maintained a large-scale military deployment in the Caribbean since August, with 21 recorded attacks against suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific that have left at least 83 dead.