President Trump has spoken with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and to the Miami Herald, Trump demanded Maduro leave Venezuela, and Maduro refused. After the call, Trump announced that the airspace over Venezuela should be considered closed, a move often seen as a precursor to military action. The Herald’s Antonio Maria Delgado reports:

One source said the call, viewed as a last-ditch effort to avoid a direct confrontation, stalled over three issues.

“First, Maduro asked for global amnesty for any crimes he and his group had committed, and that was rejected,” said the source, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “Second, they asked to retain control of the armed forces — similar to what happened in Nicaragua in ’91 with Violeta Chamorro. In return, they would allow free elections.”

The arrangement, the source added, resembled a “Cuban model” that left the Ortega brothers as the real power behind the scenes and ultimately helped pave their return to government. The administration rejected that proposal as well.

The third sticking point was timing: Washington insisted Maduro resign immediately, and Caracas refused.

The call — initially brokered by Brazil, Qatar, and Turkey — has not been repeated. After Trump’s announcement on Saturday that Venezuelan airspace should be considered “closed in its entirety,” the Maduro government attempted to place another call to Washington but received no response.

The airspace announcement, widely interpreted in Venezuela as a prelude to an imminent attack, further jolted an already-tense standoff. Addressing “Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers,” Trump offered no operational details but warned that the directive required immediate attention. His post came amid a rapid escalation in U.S. military posture toward Caracas and rising fears of conflict across the Caribbean.

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