President Donald Trump confirmed on Friday that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro offered significant concessions to the United States in a bid to maintain his grip on power.
During a press engagement at the White House, Trump was asked about reports that Maduro had reached out to his administration with proposals involving Venezuela’s natural resources.
“He has offered everything,” Trump told reporters. “He’s offered everything; you’re right.”
The president followed that up with a direct remark that immediately drew global attention: “You know why? Because he doesn’t want to fuck around with the United States.”
Trump’s statement came during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was in Washington to discuss diplomatic solutions aimed at ending the long-running Russian occupation of parts of Ukraine.
The question about Venezuela appeared unrelated to the topic of Ukraine but reflected broader concerns about authoritarian governments aligned with Russia.
Maduro has long been a vocal ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and has consistently supported Moscow’s foreign policy, including its actions in Ukraine.
In past remarks, Maduro mocked Zelensky as a “clown” and likened him to Venezuelan opposition figure Juan Guaidó, who once attempted to challenge Maduro’s rule in 2019.
U.S. foreign policy toward Venezuela under Trump’s leadership has focused heavily on countering corruption, narcotics trafficking, and authoritarian influence in Latin America.
As part of that effort, Trump’s administration placed a $50 million bounty on Maduro for information leading to his capture.
According to the U.S. State Department, Maduro was implicated in leading the “Cartel of the Suns,” a high-level Venezuelan drug-trafficking organization involving senior officials.
The State Department described Maduro’s role as one of coordination and leadership, connecting him to narco-terrorism operations with Colombia’s FARC, a designated terrorist organization.
“Maduro negotiated multi-ton shipments of FARC-produced cocaine; directed the Cartel of the Suns to provide military-grade weapons to the FARC; coordinated with narcotics traffickers in Honduras and other countries to facilitate large-scale drug trafficking,” the statement said.
Reports in U.S. media have indicated that members of Maduro’s circle sought dialogue with Washington to mitigate sanctions and halt international pressure.
According to the New York Times and Miami Herald, senior Venezuelan officials allegedly offered the U.S. access to key oil and mineral assets in exchange for leniency toward the regime.
The proposal was reportedly delivered by Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez and her brother Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly, through Qatari intermediaries.
Sources cited by multiple outlets suggested the Rodríguez siblings presented themselves as possible successors to Maduro if such an arrangement could preserve their power and wealth.
The Associated Press corroborated similar details, indicating that the offer was known and approved by Maduro.
Reports further noted internal divisions within the U.S. administration, with officials such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly rejecting any deal that did not include full regime change.
Rubio had previously told Breitbart News in 2019 that Maduro’s close allies might eventually turn against him but identified the Rodríguez siblings and Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, as the least likely to defect.
“There is no loyalty to Maduro,” Rubio said at the time. “There is basically loyalty to a system that is making them rich and has allowed their families to enjoy life and stay out of jail.”
The Rodríguez siblings consolidated power in 2024 following the arrest of former oil minister Tareck El Aissami, who was charged with treason, money laundering, and corruption.
