Published On 29/11/2025
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Last update: 08:55 (Mecca time)
The New York Times revealed a call between US President Donald Trump and his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolas Maduro, in light of a large military buildup in the Caribbean Sea.
The report, which was published yesterday, Friday, citing multiple sources (without mentioning them), stated that the two sides discussed the possibility of holding a meeting during the call.
The newspaper pointed out that the call included US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and added that both the White House and the Venezuelan government refused to confirm the news of the phone call, while two figures close to the Venezuelan government confirmed it, according to the newspaper.
The report comes at a time when the Trump administration is exerting intense pressure on Venezuela with its large military buildup in the Caribbean Sea, especially after the deployment in the region of the largest aircraft carrier in the world.
Washington says the goal is to combat drug trafficking, but Caracas says the ultimate goal is regime change.
Since September, US forces have destroyed more than 20 boats suspected of being used for drug smuggling in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean, in strikes that left more than 83 dead.
But Washington has not yet provided any evidence that the boats it targeted were being used to smuggle drugs or pose a threat to the United States.
Regional tensions escalated against the backdrop of this campaign and the accompanying military buildup.
On Monday, the US State Department announced, in a statement, the inclusion of the “Cartel de los Sols” (Cartel of the Sun) group, which it claims is managed by President Maduro and senior Venezuelan officials, on the list of “foreign terrorist organizations.”
Venezuela, which does not even recognize the presence of the so-called “Cartel de los Solis” on its territory, described this American move as an attempt to create a pretext for interference in the country’s affairs.
On November 17, Rubio accused the Cartel de los Souls of causing violence in the region, in cooperation with similar organizations, and held them responsible for drug smuggling to the United States and Europe.
Last August, Trump issued an executive order to increase the use of the army under the pretext of “combat drug cartels” in Latin America.
In this context, Washington announced the sending of warships and a submarine off the coast of Venezuela, while US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that the army is ready for operations, including regime change in Venezuela.
In response, Maduro announced the mobilization of forces numbering 4.5 million people in the country, stressing that he was ready to repel any attack.