As tensions reach a boiling point between the United States and Venezuela in November 2025, the world watches with bated breath. In a year marked by escalating confrontations, bold manifestos, and whispered negotiations, the fate of Venezuela—and the international order—hangs in the balance.
The backdrop is stark: U.S. military actions have resulted in the deaths of at least 90 people this year alone, as American forces target boats allegedly smuggling drugs from Venezuela. According to The Independent, these strikes, which have not included warning shots or attempts at arrest, have been widely condemned as "extrajudicial executions" by the United Nations and Amnesty International. The U.S. justification? Officials say they are combating the flow of deadly fentanyl into America. Yet, as the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and other authorities have confirmed, fentanyl trafficked into the U.S. originates from Mexico, with precursor chemicals arriving from China—not Venezuela.
Despite this, President Donald Trump has doubled down, sending an American aircraft carrier group steaming through the Caribbean. The USS Gerald Ford, the Navy's most advanced vessel, entered regional waters in mid-November, a move that NBC News and the Associated Press reported as a clear demonstration of military power. Trump insists these maneuvers are part of an "anti-narcotics operation," but critics and international observers see something more: a threat of invasion and a bid for regime change.
Trump’s disdain for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is no secret. Maduro, who has ruled the oil-rich nation since 2013, stands accused of dictatorship and rigging the July 2024 election—an election opposition leader Edmundo González won, only to flee to exile in Spain. U.S. sanctions and mounting international isolation have only deepened Venezuela’s crisis. The regime, as reported by The Independent, has been accused of corruption, smuggling, and even allowing top officials to profit from illicit drug and gold trades.
In a dramatic twist, the Trump administration has designated Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles—a group it alleges is led by Maduro himself—as a terrorist organization. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the announcement, placing Maduro in the crosshairs alongside notorious groups like Al Qaeda and the so-called Islamic State. This move, according to The Independent, signals a new phase in U.S. policy: the head of state is now treated as the leader of a "narco-terrorist" network.
But the military campaign has not been without internal dissent. Admiral Alvin Holsey, commander of the U.S. Southern Command and the officer overseeing the strikes, is stepping down two years early after raising legal and ethical objections. According to The Independent, Holsey questioned the use of Pentagon assets in operations that kill civilians—actions traditionally reserved for imminent threats to Americans. The Justice Department, however, maintains that "the strikes were ordered consistent with the laws of armed conflict, and as such are lawful orders."
Meanwhile, covert efforts to remove Maduro are reportedly underway. According to Politico and Rokna, the Trump administration is exploring options to exile Maduro and his closest aides, considering countries like Turkey, Russia, Azerbaijan, or Cuba as possible destinations. One U.S. official and two others familiar with the discussions told Politico that safe transfer for Maduro is on the table, should regime change succeed. The possibility of lifting sanctions on Venezuela is also being discussed, contingent upon Maduro’s removal.
Despite the saber-rattling, there are hints of diplomacy. On November 16, 2025, Trump told reporters in Florida, “We may have some talks with Maduro, and we will see what happens.” This openness to dialogue, reported by Rokna, comes even as American warships gather nearby. The White House, however, insists that the ultimate goal is freedom and democracy for Venezuela—not mere power politics.
It’s within this climate of uncertainty that Venezuelan Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado has emerged as a voice of defiance and hope. On November 18, 2025, Machado released her most ambitious declaration yet: a "Freedom Manifesto" that reads as both a constitutional draft and a call to arms. According to Newsmax, the manifesto is addressed to "the Venezuelans and to our President Edmundo González Urrutia," and was crafted while Machado remains in hiding, evading regime persecution.
Machado’s manifesto is sweeping in its vision. She calls for reclaiming liberty, dignity, and rebuilding Venezuela as a free republic. “It became the sacred duty of the courageous Venezuelans to rise when our voices were silenced, our dignity denied, and our liberty shackled by the chains of tyranny,” she writes. Her document is structured around pillars of national transformation, including the restoration of freedom of speech, the right to vote, and the right to assemble—rights she says have been trampled by Maduro’s dictatorship.
Her economic blueprint is just as bold. Machado proposes a capitalist revival: unleashing private enterprise, restoring the oil and gas sectors to "the ingenuity of free men and women," and diversifying into technology, AI, robotics, and defense. “It is time to return power to the people, to the citizens, to the private sector,” she declares. The goal? To triple Venezuela’s strength within a decade.
The manifesto’s emotional core is its promise to Venezuela’s diaspora. With more than nine million Venezuelans scattered across the globe—the largest displacement crisis in the hemisphere—Machado pledges, “We will bring them home.” She also insists that the regime must be held accountable for crimes against humanity, vowing to reform police and military forces to serve as defenders of the people, not instruments of terror.
Machado’s vision and Trump’s evolving stance appear to be converging. Officials confirm that while Trump and Machado have not met in person, they have exchanged messages through intermediaries. Trump’s insistence on free elections and openness to military intervention now align more closely than ever with Machado’s goals of restoring democracy and prosperity to Venezuela.
The international community remains divided. The UK and Colombia have reportedly suspended intelligence sharing with the U.S. over the targeting of alleged smuggler boats. Meanwhile, the U.N. and human rights organizations continue to decry the killings as violations of international law, while the White House stands by its claims of a "non-international conflict" with "narco-terrorists."
As some reports suggest backchannel talks and others hint at imminent military action, the people of Venezuela are caught in the crossfire—literally and figuratively. The U.S. has deployed approximately 75 aircraft, 5,000 troops, spies, and special forces as it approaches Venezuela’s shores. Whether this massive show of force leads to negotiation, regime change, or another chapter of suffering remains to be seen.
In these fraught days, the future of Venezuela is being shaped by power, principle, and the enduring hope for freedom. The world is watching, and history is being written in real time.