Space Industry and Business News
OIL AND GAS
White House rejects talks offer from Venezuela's Maduro
White House rejects talks offer from Venezuela's Maduro
By Barbara AGELVIS with Danny KEMP in Washington
Caracas (AFP) Sept 23, 2025

The White House on Monday dismissed a request by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro for talks with counterpart Donald Trump to de-escalate tensions between the two arch-foes.

The brush-off came as two Venezuelan opposition leaders backed a US naval build-up near the South American country, calling it critical for the restoration of democracy.

Trump has dispatched eight warships and a submarine to the southern Caribbean in an anti-drug operation Venezuela fears could be the preamble to an invasion.

US forces have destroyed at least three suspected Venezuelan drug boats in recent weeks, killing over a dozen people.

On Sunday, the Venezuelan government released a letter that leftist Maduro had sent to Trump.

In the missive, Maduro -- whose July 2024 reelection was rejected as fraudulent by Venezuela's opposition and much of the international community -- rejected as "absolutely false" US allegations that he leads a drug cartel and urged Trump to "keep the peace."

Reacting on Monday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Maduro's letter contained "a lot of lies."

She added the Trump administration's position on Venezuela "has not changed" and it viewed the regime as "illegitimate."

The US deployment is the biggest in the Caribbean in years.

Maduro has accused Trump -- who during his first term tried unsuccessfully to expedite the Venezuelan president's ouster -- of trying to affect regime change.

It was "a first letter, I will certainly send them more," Maduro said Monday night during his weekly television program, during which he said his goal was "to defend the truth of Venezuela."

"If they close a door, you open a window, and if they close a window, you open a door with the truth of your country, lighting up the world, illuminating the White House with the light of the truth of Venezuela," he added.

Maduro's defense minister, Vladimir Padrino Lopez, last week accused the United States of waging "an undeclared war" in the Caribbean, underlining that occupants of alleged drug boats were "executed without the right to a defense."

Thousands of Venezuelans have joined a civilian militia in response to Maduro's call for bolstering the cash-strapped country's defenses.

Some Venezuelans have welcomed the US actions, however, hoping they hasten Maduro's downfall.

- 'Real and growing threat' -

Exiled presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who the United States views as Venezuela's democratically-elected leader, said the military deployment was "a necessary measure to dismantle the criminal structure" he said Maduro leads.

Opposition figurehead Maria Corina Machado agreed, and said Venezuelan crime gangs were "a real and growing threat to the security and stability" of the Americas.

Maduro's claim to election victory last year sparked violent protests that were harshly repressed, leaving more than two dozen dead and hundreds behind bars.

The opposition said its own tally of results showed Gonzalez Urrutia, who stood in after the regime barred Machado from running, had defeated Maduro hands down.

Threatened with arrest, Gonzalez Urrutia fled to Spain. Machado remains in Venezuela, in hiding.

Another opposition figure, Henrique Capriles, last week came out against any US invasion.

"I continue to believe that the solution is not military, but political," the two-time presidential candidate said, adding Trump's actions were counterproductive and "entrenching those in power."

burs-ba/jgc/sla

Related Links
All About Oil and Gas News at OilGasDaily.com

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
OIL AND GAS
China may strengthen climate role amid US fossil fuel push
New York (AFP) Sept 23, 2025
All eyes are on China this week, as the world's biggest polluter readies a new emissions-cutting plan - reinforcing its role as a steadfast defender of global climate diplomacy while Europe stalls and the United States doubles down on fossil fuels. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has convened a mini climate summit on Wednesday during a week of high-level talks, where Beijing is expected to unveil its updated "Nationally Determined Contributions." These need to be in place befo ... read more

OIL AND GAS
Google says to invest 5bn pound in UK ahead of Trump visit

Musk's title of richest person challenged by Oracle's Ellison

Freeport Indonesia suspends Papua mine operation after landslide

Doom plays in orbit as Intuition-1 satellite proves versatility of Polish tech

OIL AND GAS
Gilat wins $7 million US defense contract for transportable SATCOM systems

Global Invacom unveils XRJ transceiver for government and defense satcom

Orbit introduces compact MPT30Ka SATCOM terminal for tactical platforms

York delivers full 21 satellite payload for Space Development Agency Tranche 1 launch

OIL AND GAS
OIL AND GAS
EU chief's plane hit by suspected Russian GPS jamming in Bulgaria

USGS introduces first fully integrated national geologic map

Sharp rise in GPS jamming in aviation over Baltic Sea: Sweden

Bulgaria won't probe suspected Russian GPS jamming of EU chief plane: PM

OIL AND GAS
Cambodia opens $2bn Chinese-built airport

Ground vibration test validates structural models for UpLift research aircraft

Estonia slams new Russian airspace violation

Norway experiments with electric plane in real-life test

OIL AND GAS
Frontgrade introduces PSM28 SpaceVPX power module for scalable satellite systems

Chip-maker Nvidia takes stake in rival Intel

Nvidia says complies with law after China antitrust finding

Graphene reveals light tuned quantum states pointing to new electronics

OIL AND GAS
ICEYE unveils Gen4 satellite with expanded coverage and sharper SAR imaging

Planet captures first light from Pelican-3 satellite as constellation expands

Starcloud partners with Mission Space to protect orbital datacenters with real time space weather intelligence

AI tool accelerates SAR image analysis with automated object detection

OIL AND GAS
Singapore firm rejects paying $1bn Sri Lankan pollution damages

HRW calls for investigation into Zambia toxic mine spill

Smoke from 2023 Canada fires linked to thousands of deaths: study

EU clamps down on food waste, fast fashion

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.