Key Takeaways
- Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro made his first public appearance in days, putting to rest speculation that he had fled amid escalating tensions with the US.
- Maduro appeared at an annual specialty-coffee awards event in eastern Caracas, where he handed out medals to coffee producers and delivered brief remarks.
- The US has sent more than a dozen warships and deployed roughly 15,000 troops to the region, which Caracas believes is an attempt to force Maduro from office.
- US President Donald Trump confirmed that he had spoken with Maduro on the phone, but declined to comment on the details of the conversation.
- Maduro accused the US of seeking to seize Venezuela’s oil reserves through force, and the president of Venezuela’s National Assembly accused the US of "murder" regarding recent military strikes on alleged drug boats.
Introduction to the Current Situation
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro made his first public appearance in days on Sunday, putting to an end speculation within the country that he had fled amid escalating tensions with the US. Maduro, who usually appears on Venezuelan television multiple times a week, had not been seen in public since Wednesday, leading to intense speculation as to his whereabouts. The speculation was fueled by the escalating tensions between Venezuela and the US, which has sent more than a dozen warships and deployed roughly 15,000 troops to the region as part of what it says is an effort to combat drug trafficking.
Maduro’s Public Appearance
On Sunday, Maduro appeared at an annual specialty-coffee awards event in eastern Caracas, where he handed out medals to coffee producers showcasing their top products. He sipped various coffees while delivering brief remarks, none of which openly addressed the current crisis in the country. At the end of the event, he chanted that Venezuela is "indestructible, untouchable, unbeatable" while speaking about the nation’s economy. The remarks appeared to be a nod to the tensions with the US, which has increased pressure on Maduro in recent days. Maduro’s appearance at the coffee awards event came just moments after US President Donald Trump confirmed that he had spoken with the Venezuelan leader on the phone.
US-Venezuela Tensions
The US has increased pressure on Maduro in recent days, with Trump warning that strikes on land against drug trafficking networks could be coming "very soon" and telling airlines, pilots, and criminal networks to avoid Venezuelan airspace. However, speaking on Air Force One on Sunday, Trump told reporters that his warning about Venezuelan airspace was not a signal that an airstrike is imminent. "Don’t read anything into it," the president said, adding that he made the airspace warning "because we consider Venezuela to be not a very friendly country." The US has also been accused of carrying out military strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean, which have killed more than 80 people.
Maduro’s Accusations
In a letter to the secretary general of OPEC, Haitham Al Ghais, dated November 30, Maduro accused the US of making "constant and repeating express threats" toward his country, which he said "seriously endangers the stability of Venezuelan oil production and the international market." Venezuela’s oil reserves are thought to be among the largest in the world. Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Yvan Gil Pinto posted the letter to OPEC on Telegram, alongside a vow that Venezuela would "remain firm in defending its natural energy resources." "Nothing will stop us. We will continue to be free and sovereign!" Pinto wrote. The US State Department has pushed back against such claims, saying that the administration remains "firm in its counter-drug operations in the Caribbean and its commitment to protecting Americans from the Maduro regime’s deadly poison."
Venezuela’s Response
Earlier Sunday, Venezuela accused the US of "murder" after publicly acknowledging for the first time that some of its citizens were among those killed by the US strikes on alleged drug boats. "There’s no declared war (between the US and Venezuela), therefore this cannot be classified as anything but murder," Rodriguez, the National Assembly president, told a press conference Sunday. "Every human being has the right to due process; no human being can be killed in a brutal manner," he said. The investigation into the US strikes will look into reports that the US military carried out a follow-up strike on a suspected drug vessel operating in the Caribbean on September 2 after an initial attack did not kill everyone on board.
Human Rights Concerns
The Maduro government has also been accused of extrajudicial killings and violation of human rights in the past. According to a statement from the Office of the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights, Venezuelans facing government repression are routinely denied a fair trial. More than 50 Venezuelans have been detained in the month of October alone for political reasons, human rights groups told CNN. The Venezuelan government has denied allegations of human rights abuse. The situation in Venezuela remains complex and multifaceted, with both the US and Venezuela accusing each other of aggression and human rights abuses. As the situation continues to escalate, it remains to be seen how the US and Venezuela will resolve their differences and address the humanitarian crisis in the country.