According to a report by Telegraph, on Thursday December 4, 2025, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro requested to retain $200 million of his private wealth, comprehensive amnesty for top officials, and safe haven in a friendly nation as conditions for stepping down and leaving the country in negotiations with US President Donald Trump, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
The proposed arrangement between the two leaders ultimately collapsed due to fundamental disagreements over the scope of protections for Maduro’s inner circle and other key details of his potential departure.
Those familiar with a phone call between the two leaders told The Telegraph that the plan fell apart owing to Nicolas Maduro’s demands for a blanket amnesty for as many as 100 top officials. The sweeping immunity request proved to be a deal-breaker for Washington, which has prioritized dismantling Venezuela’s political and military elite.
During the 15-minute telephone conversation, the leaders also clashed over arrangements for a transitional government and Maduro’s destination after fleeing Venezuela. Trump reportedly suggested China or Russia as potential locations, according to one source, while the Venezuelan president preferred remaining in the Western hemisphere in a friendly nation such as Cuba. Qatar has since emerged as a possible compromise location.
Maduro publicly confirmed on Wednesday that he had spoken with the US president “about 10 days ago,” placing the call around November 21.
The financial component of Maduro’s request was not the primary obstacle. Two sources confirmed he sought to depart with $200 million, potentially from assets already frozen by US authorities. However, his insistence that amnesty extend to dozens of associates and that key allies manage a transitional government until free elections proved unacceptable to American officials.
One source familiar with the call said Maduro “was caught between a rock and a hard place,” facing potential reprisals from senior figures if he agreed to terms leaving close allies vulnerable to prosecution. “It’s self-preservation, not altruism,” the source stated.
US authorities have focused on dismantling the Cartel de los Soles, a network of military and political officials controlling much of Venezuela’s drug trade, which Washington has designated a “foreign terrorist organization.”
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