“I’m not going to say whether it was good or bad. It was a phone call.”

“The answer is yes.” This is how it manifested itself Donald Trump This Sunday on Air Force One, in response to a direct question about whether he had spoken directly with his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolas MaduroWhich occurred amid escalating tensions in the Caribbean region due to Washington’s military deployment. However, the US President refused to give details about the content of the conversation.

“I don’t want to comment on it”He insisted. “I won’t say if it’s good or bad. “It was a phone call.” The conversation between the two leaders was supposed to have been recorded last week, as it was revealed on Friday New York Timesand focused on negotiation A possible meeting between Trump and Maduro On American soil.

The invitation included US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, one of the voices of the Trump administration calling for the overthrow of the Chavezt regime, It did not result in concrete plans for the meetingAccording to what the New York Times quoted sources.

Republican Senator Markwayne Mullen, in an interview with CNN on Sunday and asked about the conversation, said the Trump government gave “Nicolas Maduro.” The opportunity to go to Russia or another country“.

Tensions between the United States and Venezuela continue to escalate with each passing day despite diplomatic contacts. On Saturday, Trump warned pilots and airlines that Venezuelan airspace and surrounding areas were “closed.” In response to a question about whether the warning meant an imminent attack on Venezuelan territory, the Republican president refused to talk about his message, which he published on his social truth network.

In contrast, Trump spent several minutes defending Secretary of Defense (now called Secretary of War), Pete Hegseth, who is in the eye of the storm for allegedly ordering “the killing of all” passengers on the alleged drug boat, according to other information from The Washington Post.

According to this newspaper, which quoted two sources with direct knowledge of the operation, after the first missile hit the ship, the commanders realized that there were two crew members clinging to the remains of the ship. The operation commander then ordered a second attack in compliance with Hegseth’s instructions, who ordered “everyone” on board the ship.

“(Hegseth) said he didn’t order it and I believe him,” Trump said. The Secretary of Defense described the information published by the newspaper as “fake news,” a frequent expression in the White House to refer to negative articles. This time, however, he will have to explain to a Senate committee the ins and outs of the attack, which Democratic lawmakers described as a “war crime.”

Venezuela moves symbolically

On the other hand, the Venezuelan government denounced before the OPEC+ coalition led by Saudi Arabia, Russia, and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) what it called “bullying” by the United States, which, according to Caracas, aims to seize the oil reserves of the South American country.

President Nicolas Maduro sent a letter to the OPEC+ alliance, published by the Executive Vice President, Delcy RodriguezRegarding the second ministerial meeting in 2025, in which he warns against the alleged American interest, through – in his words – “the use of lethal military force against the country’s territory, its people, and its institutions.”

“This claim not only contravenes the provisions governing peaceful coexistence among nations, but also puts… The stability of oil production is in serious danger Venezuela and the international market.

Moreover, he trusted the efforts of the Secretary-General of OPEC, Haitham Al-Ghais, and members of the OPEC+ alliance, to help stop what he referred to as “the aggression that is brewing with increasing strength,” and warned that it “seriously threatens the balance of the energy market, both for producing and consuming countries.”

Likewise, the Venezuelan executive authority went before the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to accuse the United States of violating its sovereignty, after President Donald Trump warned in a letter that the airspace of the South American country should be considered “completely closed.”

In a statement published and later deleted – without any explanation – from the social networks of Transport Minister Ramon Velasquez Araguayan, the Maduro administration indicated that Trump had suddenly announced “the alleged closure of Venezuelan airspace, without having – in his words – the authority required for an announcement of this kind and without any legal basis.”

In addition, he reiterated that the National Aeronautical Institute (INAC) is the only entity authorized to regulate Venezuelan airspace. The operations of several airlines, such as Iberia, Plus Ultra, Air Europe, Avianca and Turkish Airlines, remain suspended, while Copa, Wingo, Boliviana de Aviación and Satena, as well as state-owned local companies Avior and Conviasa, maintain their flights in the South American country for the time being.

president of colombia, Gustavo PietroFor its part, the International Civil Aviation Organization requested a meeting for what it described as Trump’s announcement of the “completely illegal” closure. “No airline should accept that Illegal orders in the airspace of any country. “I ask President Trump to return to respect for the international legal order, which is the accumulated wisdom of human civilization.”