U.S. Offered Maduro Global Travel Options Before Military Action in Venezuela

Hakan Fidan, Turkey's Foreign Minister, stated that the United States extended an offer to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, allowing him to travel anywhere globally before a military operation was initiated in Venezuela. He noted that Turkey has not received any official request to host Maduro.

In an interview with TRT Haber, Fidan remarked:
"To our knowledge, the U.S. proposed that Maduro could travel anywhere in the world and warned him about a military operation against Venezuela. We have not received such a request from Maduro or any other country."

These comments come in light of significant events on January 3, when the U.S. launched a large-scale military operation in Venezuela, resulting in the arrest of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. They were subsequently taken to New York, where President Donald Trump announced that they would face charges including "drug-related terrorism" and threats to U.S. security.

Maduro and Flores have denied the allegations against them during their court appearance in New York. Additionally, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko previously stated that Maduro would be welcome in Minsk should he choose to reside outside Venezuela.

Fidan's remarks raise questions about the options presented to Maduro prior to the military operation and the potential role of other nations in providing asylum to the Venezuelan leader should he decide to leave his country.