Colombia Backs Plan for Maduro to Step Down, averting Potential Crisis
Colombia has voiced support for a proposal that would see Nicolás Maduro relinquish power in Venezuela, paving the way for a transitional government and new elections, as reported by Bloomberg on November 19, 2025.
Colombian Foreign Minister rosa Villavicencio stated in an interview in Madrid that Maduro appears “willing to accept” the plan. “He could leave power without necessarily going to prison, another person could assume leadership of the transition and allow legitimate elections to be held,” Villavicencio explained.
Villavicencio emphasized the necessity of Venezuelan opposition support for the plan to succeed.She also cautioned against foreign military intervention, warning that such action “could trigger a humanitarian crisis that is very arduous to manage.”
The growth comes amidst fluctuating signals from the United States regarding its Venezuela policy. President donald Trump, speaking in Florida on Sunday, indicated that Washington “could be having some discussions” wiht Maduro and that Caracas “wants to talk,” though he refrained from providing specifics.
However, the White House reportedly rejected a prior proposal from Maduro for a phased resignation. According to a New York Times report published Tuesday, Maduro’s government offered a transition period of two to three years in unofficial negotiations authorized by President Trump to explore solutions to the Venezuelan crisis. The Trump administration deemed a delayed departure unacceptable.
Sources cited by the New York Times revealed that Maduro, during these informal talks, reportedly signaled a willingness to grant US energy companies access to Venezuela’s oil reserves.The CIA had also been authorized to explore operations to “prepare a battlefield for future actions” and had re-established unofficial communication with the Maduro government.
