Venezuela has entered decisive hours after revelations that former U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a final ultimatum to Nicolás Maduro during a brief but intense phone call held on November 21. According to reports from Reuters, The New York Times and the Miami Herald, the 15-minute conversation was intended as a last attempt to secure Maduro’s peaceful departure from power and avoid a direct confrontation.

Trump confirmed the call over the weekend, describing it simply as “a call,” without assessing whether it was positive or negative. However, U.S. media outlets reported that the message was clear: Maduro could secure a safe exit—along with his wife Cilia Flores and his son—only if he resigned immediately and left the country.

According to sources cited by the Miami Herald, U.S. officials outlined a “lifeline” scenario: safe conduct, immediate resignation, and the transfer of authority to President-elect Edmundo González. But the call stalled over three key points presented by Maduro. First, he demanded full legal amnesty for himself, his family, and more than 100 senior officials under U.S. sanctions or accused of crimes including corruption, drug trafficking, and human rights abuses. Trump rejected the request outright.

Second, Maduro asked to retain influence over the Venezuelan Armed Forces, drawing a parallel to the arrangement made in Nicaragua in 1991 with President Violeta Chamorro. In exchange, he offered to permit free elections. Washington also dismissed this proposal.

The third and final sticking point was timing: Trump insisted on an immediate resignation, while Maduro refused, proposing instead that Vice President Delcy Rodríguez lead an interim government ahead of new elections.

Reuters reports that Maduro expressed willingness to abandon Venezuela only if all U.S. sanctions were lifted and if the international legal case he faces before the International Criminal Court were closed—conditions Washington refused to entertain.

Despite the impasse, sources close to the talks indicate that the door to a negotiated exit has not been fully closed. The Maduro government has reportedly requested another call with Trump, though significant disagreements remain unresolved.

As the situation intensifies, the message from Washington appears unequivocal: Maduro’s time is running out, and these may be the most decisive hours for Venezuela’s political future.