6 months ago
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US President Donald Trump summoned his apical nationalist information officials to the Oval Office connected Monday (December 1, 2025) to sermon Venezuela, arsenic his counterpart, Nicolas Maduro, rejected a “slave’s peace” amid mounting fears of American subject action.
The gathering comes arsenic Mr. Trump ramps up unit with a large naval build-up successful the Caribbean, bombings of suspected drug-ferrying boats, and ominous warnings to debar Venezuelan airspace.
“I volition corroborate that the president volition beryllium gathering with his nationalist information squad connected this taxable and connected galore matters,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told a briefing erstwhile asked by AFP about reports of the meeting.
Ms. Leavitt would not accidental whether Mr. Trump would scope a last determination aft months of tensions with Caracas, saying she was “definitely not going to item the specifics of the meeting.”
But she declined to regularisation retired the anticipation of U.S. troops connected the crushed connected Venezuela.
“There’s options astatine the president’s disposal that are connected the table, and I’ll fto him talk connected those,” Ms. Leavitt said.
‘Peace of colonies’
Mr. Maduro, who accuses Washington of seeking to topple him, told thousands of supporters astatine a rally successful Caracas that Venezuela does not privation a “slave’s peace.”
“We privation peace, but bid with sovereignty, equality, freedom!” said Mr. Maduro, who danced connected signifier with flag-waving supporters during the event. “We bash not privation a slave’s peace, nor the bid of colonies.”
The United States has moved the world’s largest craft bearer and different warships into the region, and designated an alleged cause cartel tally by Mr. Maduro arsenic a violent radical arsenic tensions equine with Venezuela.
Washington says the purpose of the subject deployment launched successful September is to curb cause trafficking successful the region, but Caracas insists authorities alteration is the eventual goal.
Mr. Trump confirmed Sunday (November 30, 2025) helium had precocious spoken with Mr. Maduro for the archetypal clip since returning to bureau successful January, but would not springiness details.
“I wouldn’t accidental it went good oregon badly. It was a telephone call,” Mr. Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
The New York Times reported that Mr. Trump and Mr. Maduro had discussed a imaginable meeting, portion The Wall Street Journal said that the speech besides included conditions of amnesty if Mr. Maduro were to measurement down.
Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin said Sunday connected CNN’s “State of the Union” speech amusement that the United States has offered Mr. Maduro the accidental to permission his state for Russia oregon elsewhere.
Airstrike controversy
The United States accuses Mr. Maduro, the governmental heir to Venezuela’s precocious leftist person Hugo Chavez, of heading the “Cartel of the Suns” and has issued a $50 cardinal reward for his capture.
Venezuela and countries that enactment it importune nary specified enactment adjacent exists.
The United States besides does not admit Mr. Maduro arsenic the morganatic victor of past year’s statesmanlike election.
But Mr. Trump’s medication faces increasing contention implicit aerial strikes that person targeted alleged drug-trafficking boats successful the Caribbean Sea and the eastbound Pacific Ocean, sidesplitting astatine slightest 83 people.
Mr. Trump said Sunday (November 30, 2025) helium would “look into” claims the subject conducted a “double-tap” onslaught that killed 2 survivors clinging to a burning vessel successful the Caribbean successful aboriginal September.
The White House defended the move, saying that the admiral who leads U.S. Special Operations Command had ordered the follow-up strike, and that helium was acting lawfully.
Admiral Frank Bradley “worked good wrong his authorization and the law, directing the engagement to guarantee the vessel was destroyed and the menace to the United States of America was eliminated,” Ms. Leavitt said.
