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Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro made a public appearance on Sunday, after several days of absence that raised speculation that he had fled due to escalating tensions with the United States.
Maduro, who usually appears several times a week on state television, had not been seen since Wednesday, fueling speculation about his whereabouts. He appeared at an annual coffee awards event in Caracas, where he handed out medals to producers and spoke briefly, without referring to the current crisis.
At the end of the event, he declared that Venezuela is "invincible," in an implicit message to the United States, which has deployed warships and about 15,000 troops to the region. Caracas accuses Washington of seeking Maduro's removal by force.
His appearance came shortly after US President Donald Trump confirmed that he had held a phone call with Maduro, without providing details about its content. The Venezuelan administration has not commented on the conversation.
Meanwhile, Maduro has sent a letter to OPEC, accusing the US of seeking to seize Venezuela's vast oil reserves. Foreign Minister Yvan Gil released the letter, stressing that the country will defend its natural resources "with determination."
Tensions rose further after Caracas accused the US of "murder", claiming that several Venezuelans had been killed in US attacks on suspected drug trafficking ships in the Caribbean. The president of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, said that an investigative commission would be set up into the incidents, which have left more than 80 people dead according to Venezuelan authorities.
The US has denied the allegations, insisting that its operations are targeting drug trafficking and not Venezuela's oil resources. In recent days, the US president has increased pressure on Maduro, warning that ground strikes against drug trafficking networks could come "very soon" and issuing a message to airlines, pilots and criminal networks to avoid Venezuelan airspace.
Meanwhile, international human rights organizations continue to accuse Maduro's government of repression and rights violations, while dozens of people have been detained this month for political reasons, accusations that the government denies.
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