The United States told Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, that he must leave his country right away. The White House said he could take his wife and son and go safely, but only if he agreed to resign immediately. This message came during a phone call that was meant to avoid a fight. The U.S. wants new elections and says Maduro and his top officials are running a big drug cartel called the Cartel de los Soles.
Maduro refused the offer. He asked for forgiveness for all crimes and wanted to keep control of the army even if elections were held. The U.S. said no to these demands. After the call failed, President Trump announced that Venezuelan airspace was “closed,” which many people think means attacks could start soon. The U.S. has already sent warships and thousands of troops to the Caribbean and reopened a big military base in Puerto Rico.
Washington says the next step will be land operations inside Venezuela to stop drug trafficking. The U.S. has already destroyed more than 20 boats suspected of carrying drugs and says it has killed over 80 people since September.
The government also put a $50 million reward on Maduro and called his group a terrorist organization. Experts believe the U.S. might start missile strikes first, then move to ground actions if talks fail.
In short: The U.S. told Maduro to leave now or face military action, and signs show land operations could begin very soon.
