Maduro is running out of options after rejecting the safe passage offered by Trump.

WashingtonNicolás Maduro's options are dwindling after it was revealed that the deadline has passed. Donald Trump offered him a negotiated solution It expired last Friday. This is according to sources familiar with the conversation that took place on November 21 at the Reuters news agency and the newspaper. Miami HeraldMaduro reportedly made several requests to Trump to step down after two months of military pressure from Washington. But since the Republican president did not accept them, the safe passage expired, which precipitated the United States' warning last Saturday to international airlines that Venezuelan airspace was "completely closed"Maduro asked Trump to lift all US sanctions and to close the case against him at the International Criminal Court. He also demanded the lifting of sanctions on more than 100 Venezuelan government officials, many of whom are accused in the United States of human rights abuses, drug trafficking, and corruption. In the conversation, the Venezuelan leader proposed that Vice President Delcy Rodríguez assume leadership of an interim government before new elections are held, according to two sources. Trump confirmed this on Sunday. who had spoken with Madurowithout giving further details. The Caracas government has not commented on the call, but the Chavista leader has said that no one will "divert him from the path of the revolution." And in a rally before supporters, he promised "absolute loyalty" to the Venezuelan people. It is unclear whether the Venezuelan leader will still accept the offer. According to Reuters, the Maduro government has requested another phone call with Trump.

Threats of ground operation

The revelations about the brief call—it lasted no more than 15 minutes—explain Trump's growing pressure on Caracas. Recently, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, known for his hawkish stance on Venezuela, announced that the US was designating the Cartel of the Suns as a terrorist group and identifying Maduro as its leader. Furthermore, last week, for the first time, Trump spoke openly about a possible ground operation in Venezuela. The pressure against the Maduro government is justified by a supposed campaign against drug trafficking in Latin America. However, the objective of overthrowing the Venezuelan president for his alleged ties to drug trafficking does not appear incompatible with the pardon Trump granted this weekend to former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández. Last year, the US sentenced the former leader to 45 years in prison for drug trafficking. The pardon in Orlando coincides with the final stretch of the Honduran presidential elections, where Trump has endorsed the right-wing candidate Tito Asfura. Just as he did with the Argentine legislative elections, the Republican has threatened to cut off economic aid to Honduras if his candidate doesn't win. All this to add another member to the list of pro-government governments in the region willing to align themselves with his agenda.

This Tuesday, in his appearance following the cabinet meeting—the last of the year—Trump again threatened a ground invasion of Venezuela, saying that "they've been getting along very badly." The president made the warning while discussing the attacks on vessels in the Caribbean Sea and the Eastern Pacific that have already left at least 83 dead. "We'll start doing these attacks on land as well. It's much easier on land, and we know the routes they take. We know everything: we know where the bad guys live, and we'll start very soon," the president said. He also issued a warning to the rest of the countries in the region: "Anyone doing this [drug trafficking to the US] and selling it in our country can be targeted, not just Venezuela." Amid the escalating attacks against alleged drug-running boats, Trump has also targeted Colombian President Gustavo Petro.

The Republican has avoided clearly answering whether he was aware of the information revealed by the Washington Post which suggests that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a second attack on the first ship shot down in the Caribbean in September after survivors were found. "To me, it was an attack. It wasn't one bombing, two bombings, or three bombings. Someone had asked me about a second attack. I knew nothing about a second attack," Trump said when reminded that he himself announced the operation, saying he had seen it live on television.

The Trump administration has reiterated that it does not recognize Maduro, in office since 2013, as the legitimate president of Venezuela. The National Electoral Council He was proclaimed re-elected last year. In elections that the United States and other Western governments consider fraudulent and in which, according to independent observers, the opposition won overwhelmingly.

On Monday, the US president met with his top advisors to discuss, among other issues, the pressure campaign on Venezuela, according to a senior US official. A source in Washington familiar with internal talks within the US administration did not rule out a negotiated exit for Maduro, but stressed that significant disagreements remain and important details are yet to be resolved.

The United States has increased the reward to $50 million for information leading to Maduro's arrest, and is offering $25 million for other high-ranking government officials, including Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, who is accused in the United States of alleged drug trafficking, among other crimes. All deny the accusations.