Maduro ends Rumors of Flight with Public Appearance
CARACAS, Venezuela – Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro publicly appeared at an annual coffee industry event in Miranda on Sunday, October 30, effectively ending days of speculation that he had fled the contry amid heightened tensions with the United States.
Maduro had not been seen in public since Wednesday, October 26, when he posted a video on his Telegram channel appearing to drive around Caracas. This sparked widespread questions about his whereabouts.
During SundayS event, broadcast virtually, Maduro presented medals to coffee producers and sampled their products. He delivered brief remarks, but did not directly address the ongoing crisis.He concluded by stating Venezuela is “indestructible, untouchable, unbeatable,” referencing the nation’s economic sectors.
the appearance came shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed to reporters aboard Air Force One that he had spoken with Maduro by phone, responding to a question with, “I don’t want to comment on that – the answer is yes.”
Neither Maduro nor senior Venezuelan government officials have publicly commented on the phone call. Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly of Venezuela, declined to discuss the conversation during a press conference, instead focusing on an investigation into recent U.S. maritime activity in the Caribbean.
The U.S. has deployed over a dozen warships and approximately 15,000 troops to the region, citing efforts to combat drug trafficking, a claim Caracas views as a pretext for attempting to remove Maduro from power.
