Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said Monday he is open to direct, face-to-face talks with President Donald Trump, calling for diplomacy as a growing U.S. military buildup tightens around Venezuela’s coastline.
The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s most advanced aircraft carrier, has joined nearly a dozen American warships and roughly 15,000 U.S. troops stationed at sea and in Puerto Rico, CBS News reported.
Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro breaks into singing John Lennon's 'Imagine' as he talks about US tensions. pic.twitter.com/R270tpM5AF
— The Associated Press (@AP) November 16, 2025
Trump has accused Maduro of working with drug cartels and facilitating the flow of narcotics into the United States. Maduro, who faces U.S. narco-terrorism charges, denies the allegations and says Washington is using drug accusations as cover for a regime-change operation.
The administration recently designated the “Cartel de los Soles” as a foreign terrorist organization, which Trump says could justify targeting Venezuelan infrastructure.
Meanwhile, U.S. forces have struck 22 vessels, killing 83 people, in what the White House calls anti-smuggling operations — actions criticized by rights groups and regional governments.
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TIPP Staff
