The Atlantic: Maduro may consider exile deal if US offers amnesty

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro may be open to a negotiated exit from power if the United States agrees to grant him and his top aides amnesty, lift existing bounties on their capture, and ensure a comfortable exile, according to sources familiar with discussions cited by The Atlantic.

“If there is enough pressure, and if there is enough candy in the dish,” a person who speaks to officials in both countries told the publication, “everything is on the table with Maduro.”

The report indicates that Maduro’s demands include Washington’s cancellation of the multimillion-dollar reward for his capture and guarantees of his personal safety should he agree to leave Venezuela. These discussions come amid what The Atlantic describes as the largest US military buildup in the Caribbean since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.

Officially, the United States has framed the increased military presence as part of an anti–drug trafficking operation. However, the publication notes that Venezuela primarily serves as a transit hub for narcotics rather than a production center—suggesting that Washington’s real objective may be a change in the country’s leadership.

Earlier in September, US President Donald Trump authorised military strikes on small boats off the Venezuelan coast and in the Pacific, allegedly used by drug traffickers. According to The Atlantic, at least 65 people have been killed in 16 such attacks.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly told  the magazine that the strikes targeted “designated narco-terrorists, as affirmed by US intelligence,” and that the president was acting “to do what was necessary to prevent drugs from reaching the United States.”

Meanwhile, the Pentagon has deployed extensive military assets to the region, including the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, eight additional warships, around 10,000 troops, fighter jets, drones, and a nuclear-powered submarine. The unprecedented buildup has raised concerns among some of Trump’s own allies, who warn that a military intervention to remove Maduro could contradict one of his key campaign promises to avoid new foreign entanglements.

By Sabina Mammadli