President Donald Trump delivered a stern ultimatum to Nicolás Maduro to leave Venezuela immediately before announcing the country's airspace should be closed, according to a report.
Per the Miami Herald, Washington's warning was delivered in a phone call with Caracas and offered guaranteed evacuation for Maduro, his wife Cilia Flores, and their son, but only if the dictator agreed to resign on the spot.
The conversation stalled, U.S. officials said, and within hours Washington escalated dramatically.
The ensuing impasse, a source told the outlet, was over Maduro asking for "global amnesty for any crimes he and his group had committed, and that was rejected."
"Second, they asked to retain control of the armed forces — similar to what happened in Nicaragua in ’91 with Violeta Chamorro. In return, they would allow free elections."
The final issue was timing, according to the outlet, as Washington demanded that Maduro resign immediately – but Caracas refused.
Trump went on to announce Saturday that Venezuelan airspace would be considered "closed in its entirety."
The Herald also reported that the Maduro government tried to schedule another call to Washington but received no response.
