Daijiworld Media Network - New York

New York, Nov 20: US President Donald Trump, while signalling ambitions for a Nobel Peace Prize, is simultaneously sending conflicting messages as tensions with Venezuela inch closer to the possibility of military conflict.

In his latest approach, Trump is framing the standoff with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro — a leader aligned with Russia and Cuba — not as a traditional geopolitical showdown, but as an extension of Washington’s war on drugs. This narrative allows the administration to justify tougher actions without explicitly labelling them as regime change efforts.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has publicly branded Maduro as the leader of the Cartel de los Soles, a group designated by the US as a narco-terrorist organisation. By portraying him as a drug kingpin rather than a head of state, Washington appears to be setting the stage for an intervention grounded in counter-narcotics objectives.

Trump’s political base of MAGA hardliners remains deeply wary of foreign military interventions following the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Trump himself has frequently criticised previous administrations for deploying American troops abroad. Yet the President is now signalling that all options remain open.

Asked on Monday whether a ground invasion of Venezuela was possible, Trump responded, “I don’t rule out that. I don’t rule out anything. We just have to take care of Venezuela.”

In a notable escalation, the US recently deployed its largest aircraft carrier — the USS Gerald Ford — along with a full strike group to the Caribbean, placing significant military hardware within striking distance of Venezuelan territory. Nearly 15,000 US troops have been repositioned to the region, while surveillance and armed drones have been operating overhead, CBS News reported.

Trump acknowledged last month that he had authorised the CIA to undertake operations inside Venezuela. He continues to justify potential action by linking Venezuela to issues of illegal migration and drug trafficking.

“They have emptied their prisons into the United States,” Trump claimed, adding that “a lot of drugs” were flowing in from the country.

Despite the military posturing, Trump suggested he may be open to dialogue with Maduro — who currently faces a US bounty of $50 million.

“We may be having some discussions with Maduro,” he said on Sunday, though he refused to characterise these as negotiations. “I talk to anybody; I talk to you.”

Maduro, known for his theatrical public appearances, responded with a symbolic plea for peace, singing a line from John Lennon’s Imagine before urging his supporters to read the song’s anti-war lyrics.

Maduro’s government has long faced international criticism for election irregularities, human rights abuses, and democratic backsliding during his 12-year rule. While Trump has often denounced regime-change strategies, he has taken a far harsher stance on drug trafficking, with his administration greenlighting military operations in September that reportedly destroyed at least 22 boats and killed over 80 suspected drug smugglers at sea.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth described the latest military deployment, known as Operation Southern Spear, as an escalation of the administration’s anti-narcotics campaign.