Former President Donald Trump reportedly delivered a stark ultimatum to Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, offering a last-chance exit deal just before the U.S. shut down Venezuelan airspace, according to a new report from the Miami Herald. The move has sent shockwaves through Caracas and may signal the most precarious moment yet for Maduro’s regime.
Trump’s Offer: Immediate Resignation in Exchange for Safe Evacuation
According to the report, U.S. officials contacted Maduro in a tense call, offering safe evacuation for Maduro, his wife Cilia Flores, and their son. The condition was clear and non-negotiable:
Maduro had to relinquish power immediately.
Negotiations collapsed quickly. Sources say Maduro attempted to secure broad amnesty for himself and members of his inner circle—a proposal Washington rejected outright. He also pushed to retain influence over Venezuela’s armed forces, similar to the arrangement made in Nicaragua during the 1991 Chamorro transition.
The U.S. refused both requests, insisting Maduro step down at once. Maduro declined.
U.S. Closes Venezuelan Airspace: A Major Escalation
Within hours, the Trump administration raised the stakes. On Saturday, Trump announced that Venezuela’s airspace was “closed in its entirety.”
The sudden declaration reportedly rattled Maduro’s government, which attempted to arrange a second call with U.S. officials—receiving no response.
Former Venezuelan diplomat Vanessa Neumann told Fox News Digital that the move signals a potential turning point.
“I think the operations will start imminently,” Neumann warned, describing the airspace shutdown as “a very clear public warning that missiles might be coming to take out command and control infrastructure or retaliatory infrastructure.”
She noted that U.S. operatives have spent years mapping high-value targets, calling the situation a “capture-or-kill scenario.”
However, aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump urged reporters not to overinterpret the airspace closure when asked if a strike was imminent.
Maduro’s Weakening Military: A Regime Running Out of Options
Neumann emphasized that Maduro has few viable options left, citing a severely weakened Venezuelan military plagued by years of corruption, sanctions, defections, and outdated equipment.
“Their material is extremely old, decayed, and has not been serviced,” she explained. “They’ve got junk from the Russians. The American equipment they originally had is decades old and hasn’t been maintained.”
Without personnel, foreign support, or functional hardware, the regime may struggle to withstand a full-scale confrontation.
Neumann added that although the U.S. cannot neutralize dozens of targets simultaneously, Maduro himself would rank near the top of any list.
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