From bus driver to 'Narcotics President': The fall of Venezuela's Maduro

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has been accused by the United States of being the "world's largest drug trafficker," alleging him in collaborating with drug cartels to ship fentanyl-laced cocaine into the United States, as reported by East Week magazine, The Standard's sister publication. 

The US military bombed Venezuelan vessels under the pretext of targeting "drug-trafficking speedboats," deploying a carrier strike group to the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific. Since operations commenced in September, the military has sunk at least twenty vessels, resulting in nearly 90 deaths. Amid heightened tensions between the two nations, reports surfaced that Maduro had spoken with US President Donald Trump – a rare contact.

Venezuela has long maintained strained relations with the United States, which have plummeted this year. After Trump's return to power, he labeled Venezuela a "narco-terrorist regime."

Maduro confirmed speaking with Trump, describing the conversation as "respectful and polite" and expressing hope for a resolution to their standoff. Maduro used this call to propose conditions for an "orderly exit," including securing legal immunity for himself and his family, lifting some US sanctions, and even de-escalating the International Criminal Court's investigations.

The United States has rejected most of the conditions, viewing the talks as a "test of the bottom line." Some analysts suggest Maduro, facing pressure from both domestic and international fronts, is contemplating stepping down.

From bus driver, a core confidant under former president Hugo Chavez, to president, Maduro became a leftist legend yet also a symbol of Venezuela's decline. Instead of cutting subsidies, restructuring public spending, or promoting industrial diversification, he relied on the central bank to print money, leading to hyperinflation. He also faced accusations of rigging elections, with the country's election authority – controlled by Maduro – giving him approximately 52 percent of the vote without disclosing detailed polling station results in his re-election. He also suppressed domestic opposition with live ammunition and tear gas.

The US Department of Justice and State Department announced that they have doubled the reward for Maduro's capture from US$25 million (HK$195 million) to US$50 million – one of the highest bounties ever offered by the United States for a head of state.

Meanwhile, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded this year's Peace Prize to 58-year-old Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.

Machado's last public appearance, after she went into hiding for 11 months, was on December 11, 2025, when she greeted crowds from the balcony of the Grand Hotel in Oslo, Norway.

Machado advocated for free and fair elections during the Chavez era. She was elected to the National Assembly in 2010, but in 2014, her parliamentary seat was revoked after she criticized Maduro at the Organization of American States.