Overview
- Nicolás Maduro said he spoke with President Donald Trump by phone about 10 days ago, describing the brief exchange as respectful and potentially a step toward state-to-state dialogue.
- Trump acknowledged the conversation but offered no details, telling reporters, "I wouldn’t say it went well or badly."
- Multiple outlets report that Maduro floated stepping down in exchange for full legal amnesty and sanctions relief, a proposal those reports say Trump rejected, with no public deal announced.
- The call occurred as Washington tightened pressure through sanctions, a Foreign Terrorist Organization designation for the Cartel de los Soles, a $50 million reward targeting Maduro, and a major maritime and air deployment in the Caribbean.
- Reporting cites at least two dozen U.S. maritime strikes since September with more than 80 killed, while Maduro criticizes the campaign as a threat to sovereignty and stresses "no microphone diplomacy."