Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro appeared in public Sunday for the first time in five days, temporarily putting an end to speculation that he had fled the country following a reported ultimatum

While President Maduro's recent actions are seen as a sign of desperation by supporters of Venezuela’s political opposition, months of pressure have yet to produce defections or a government transition.

Venezuela's authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro reportedly offered Donald Trump holding free elections in exchange for keeping control of the country's armed forces, but the latter refused the deal,

Speaking in Caracas, Rodríguez accused Washington of conducting illegal strikes in regional waters, claiming that at least 22 vessels were targeted between September and mid-November—11 in the Caribbean Sea and 11 in the Eastern Pacific—leading to at least 83 fatalities.

The USS Gravely, a U.S. Navy warship, departs from the Port of Spain on Oct. 30, 2025. The U.S. warship arrived in Trinidad and Tobago on Oct. 26, 2025, for joint exercises near the coast of Venezuela, as Washington ratcheted up pressure on drug traffickers and Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. MARTIN BERNETTI AFP via Getty Images

Venezuela's authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro made his first public appearance in days on Sunday, ending speculation that he had fled the country amid heightened tensions with the United States.

Spanish carrier Iberia on ​Monday extended the suspension of its flights ‌to Venezuela until December 31, citing a recommendation from ‌Spain's aviation safety agency AESA, as tensions between Caracas and Washington continue to roil commercial aviation.

This is a response, but not a rebuke, to Jed Babbin’s fine piece, which appeared Monday here at The American Spectator, discussing the legal questions surrounding the missile attacks on Venezuelan and Colombian drug boats attempting to deliver narcotics to poison our citizens.