WSJ: Maduro shows no sign of stepping down amid US pressure

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has no intention of stepping down despite escalating pressure from the Trump administration, according to sources cited by The Wall Street Journal.

In recent weeks, Maduro, 63, has maintained a public presence that signals confidence rather than retreat. He has appeared at rallies, trade expos, and Christmas tree lighting ceremonies alongside his wife, performed dance remixes for supporters, and even delivered his own rendition of John Lennon’s Imagine.

These public displays come as US officials have called on him to leave office or face consequences, including the deployment of warships off Venezuela’s coast and the imposition of a partial oil blockade.

Former Venezuelan minister Andrés Isarra suggested that Maduro is likely to withstand the US pressure and emerge politically strengthened. Isarra indicated that the Venezuelan leader had seen through what he described as a bluff by the Trump administration.

Despite repeated calls from Washington for him to step aside, Maduro’s actions suggest he expects to outlast American efforts to force his exit, the WSJ writes. 

By Sabina Mammadli