US President Donald Trump has been ramping up pressure on Venezuela's leader, President Nicolás Maduro. The Trump administration has doubled the reward for information leading to Maduro's capture, and its warships are within striking distance of Venezuela. Dozens of people have been killed in attacks on boats alleged to have been transporting drugs from the South American country.
Trump reportedly also gave Maduro an ultimatum to leave Venezuela, in a phone call the two men had on November 21.
Who is Nicolás Maduro?
Nicolás Maduro rose to prominence under the leadership of left-wing President Hugo Chávez and his United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). Maduro, a former bus driver and union leader, succeeded Chávez and has been president since 2013.
During the 26 years that Chávez and Maduro have been in power, their party has gained control of key institutions, including the National Assembly, much of the judiciary, and the electoral council. In 2024, the electoral council declared Maduro the winner of the presidential election, even though voting tallies collected by the opposition suggested that their candidate, Edmundo González, had won by a landslide. The US is one of many countries that declared the election illegitimate and recognised González as 'president-elect.'
But with Maduro firmly in control of the military, the police, and the legislature, he has remained in power while González has fled into exile for fear of arrest.
Why is Trump focusing on Venezuela?
Trump has made stopping immigration a priority during his second term in office and blames Maduro for the arrival of a large number of Venezuelan migrants in the US. Since 2013, up to eight million Venezuelans are estimated to have fled the economic crisis and political repression, worsened under Maduro. Many have fled to Latin American countries, while hundreds of thousands have gone to the US.
Without providing evidence, Trump has accused Maduro of 'emptying his prisons and insane asylums' and 'forcing' inmates to migrate to the US.
Trump has also concentrated on combatting the influx of drugs into the US, especially fentanyl and cocaine. As part of his war on drugs, he has designated two Venezuelan criminal groups - Tren de Aragua and Cartel de los Soles - as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and alleges that the latter is led by Maduro himself. Maduro has denied these allegations, accusing the US of seeking to undermine his government to seize control of Venezuela's oil reserves.
Why has the US sent warships to the Caribbean?
The US has deployed 15,000 troops and an array of naval vessels to the Caribbean, citing a need to halt the flow of fentanyl and cocaine into the US. This deployment marks the largest military build-up in the region since the US invasion of Panama in 1989.
Since early September, US forces have executed over 20 strikes in international waters against boats purportedly carrying drugs, resulting in more than 80 fatalities. The Trump administration argues this action constitutes a response to irregular warfare conducted by drug traffickers.
Is Venezuela flooding the US with drugs?
Most drug trafficking analysts indicate that while Venezuela is utilized as a passage for drugs, it is not a significant producer itself. Colombia, its neighbor, remains the foremost source of cocaine. The majority of cocaine reaching the US is trafficked through the Pacific rather than Venezuela, which only serves as a minor transit route.
Could the US carry out strikes on Venezuela?
While Trump confirmed a conversation with Maduro on November 21, the details of their talk remain unclear. Trump is reported to have issued an ultimatum for Maduro to leave, which was not accepted. Following the deadline, Trump promptly declared the airspace around Venezuela closed.
The potential for US ground troop deployment remains ambiguous, but Trump's statements suggest that military options are on the table.
