After more than a decade in power, Nicolás Maduro's regime could be preparing its exit, although under terms that reveal its desperation to retain privileges and protection. According to a recent publication by The Atlantic, the Venezuelan dictator has expressed his willingness to negotiate an "orderly exit" from the country if the United States agrees to grant him and his closest circle amnesty, remove the bounties on his head, and facilitate a "quiet" exile abroad.
"If there's enough pressure, and if there's enough 'candy on the plate,' everything's on the table with Maduro", a source with ties in Caracas and Washington told The Atlantic, referring to the possibility of a deal that would end the Chavista leader's rule.
Since coming to power in 2013, Maduro has concentrated political, economic, and military control over Venezuela, plunging the country into one of the most severe humanitarian crises on the continent. In recent months, tension with the United States has intensified: Washington has deployed military assets near the Venezuelan coast and identified the president as head of the so-called Cartel of the Suns, a drug trafficking network linked to high-ranking Chavista officials.
