On November 21, Donald Trump spoke by phone with Nicolás Maduro and gave him one week to leave Venezuela with his family. The US president rejected most conditions proposed by the Venezuelan leader. After the deadline expired, the United States closed Venezuelan airspace as a pressure measure.
The phone conversation between US President Donald Trump and Venezuelan counterpart Nicolás Maduro took place on November 21 and lasted less than 15 minutes. According to sources cited by Reuters, Maduro proposed several conditions to step down: full legal amnesty for him and his family, lifting of all US sanctions, ending a case at the International Criminal Court, removal of sanctions on over 100 Venezuelan officials accused of human rights violations, drug trafficking or corruption, and having Vice President Delcy Rodríguez lead an interim government toward new elections.
Trump rejected almost all these requests and only offered a seven-day safe conduct for Maduro and his family to leave the country to a chosen destination. The deadline expired last Friday, and the next day, Washington announced the closure of air traffic to and from Venezuela.
This call fits into an escalation of US pressure on Caracas, including operations against suspected drug boats in the Caribbean, threats of land military actions, and designating the Cartel de los Soles—linked by Washington to Maduro—as a terrorist organization. The Venezuelan government denies the accusations and claims the US seeks regime change to control resources like oil.
Initially, the call's existence was known but not its details; the White House declined to comment, and Venezuela's Information Ministry did not respond. The Miami Herald had previously revealed aspects without mentioning the ultimatum. On Sunday, Trump met with advisors to review the pressure campaign, and while reopening negotiations is not ruled out, disagreements persist. The US raised the reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest to $50 million, and maintains $25 million for other officials like Diosdado Cabello. Maduro, without referring to the call, swore absolute loyalty to the Venezuelan people on Monday during a rally.