Maduro Resurfaces in Public After Escape Speculations, Declares Venezuela 'Indestructible, Untouchable, Unbeatable'

Venezuela's authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro made his first public appearance in days on Sunday, ending speculation that he had fled the country amid heightened tensions with the United States.

Maduro, who typically appears on state television multiple times per week, had not been seen since Wednesday, when he posted a video driving around Caracas on Telegram. His absence fueled widespread rumors about his whereabouts, especially after flight-tracking data reviewed by CNN Brasil during the weekend showed a Venezuelan government jet flew to the Brazilian border and back.

He resurfaced at an annual specialty-coffee awards ceremony in eastern Caracas, where he awarded medals to producers and sampled different brews while delivering brief remarks that did not directly address the escalating crisis, as CNN reports. At the end of his appearance, he declared that Venezuela was "indestructible, untouchable, unbeatable" while discussing the country's economy.

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Maduro did not mention President Donald Trump by name but suggested that Venezuela would withstand external pressure. "They want to stop us, but Venezuela will continue forward," he said, according to footage shared by state media. He added that the nation "will remain free and sovereign," portraying U.S. actions as a threat to the country's stability.

The appearance came shortly after Trump confirmed to reporters aboard Air Force One that he had spoken with Maduro by phone. "I don't want to comment on that — the answer is yes," Trump said, without offering further details. Maduro and his senior officials have not addressed the call.

Meanwhile, Maduro has moved to portray the U.S. pressure campaign as a broader attempt to seize Venezuelan oil reserves. In a letter sent to OPEC leadership, he warned the operation "seriously endangers the stability of Venezuelan oil production and the international market" and urged allies to help stop what he called U.S. "aggression."

Top Venezuelan officials have also condemned recent U.S. maritime strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean that have killed more than 80 people since September. National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez said Sunday that some of the dead were Venezuelan citizens and labeled the operations "murder," arguing there is "no declared war" between the two nations, as CNN reports.

U.S. officials reject those accusations and maintain that the ongoing deployment is aimed at disrupting narcotics routes linked to Venezuela's security apparatus.

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