Nicolás Maduro recently performed a remix of his own peace slogans at a student gathering in Caracas. This incident follows his earlier rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine” and occurs as U.S. warships maintain patrols off the coast. Both acts appear to be gestures of defiance.
Footage from the National University Student Day celebration depicted Maduro swaying to the music, appearing to imitate President Donald Trump’s characteristic dance moves, though with a distinctively more relaxed style.
The electronic music incorporated Maduro’s own statements, repurposed from addresses advocating for peace and condemning conflict, amidst escalating tensions with the United States.
Reuters identified the remixed song as “Peace, yes. War, no.” The Venezuelan leader was seen at one point punctuating the rhythm with a “pew, pew” gesture, forming finger pistols, which was caught on video.
This video emerged approximately one week after Maduro sang “Imagine” at another rally, where he called for peace, even as the Trump administration bolstered its military presence near Venezuela to combat drug trafficking.
When discussing peace, Maduro referenced Lennon, describing the former Beatles member as a poet and musician who bequeathed a “gift to humanity.”
He encouraged young people to examine the lyrics, characterizing the song as an .
The video shows Maduro interrupting his speech to recall Lennon’s song, singing a few lines before contemplating its significance.
According to a translation, he stated, “What a beautiful song. The lyrics – young people, look up the lyrics. It’s an inspiration for all time. It’s an anthem for all eras and generations that John Lennon left as a gift to humanity. Long live the eternal memory of that great poet and musician, John Lennon.”
While Maduro advocates for peace, the U.S. has substantially augmented its military footprint across , deploying bombers, warships, and Marines as part of a campaign aimed at disrupting drug-trafficking operations in the area, which has involved airstrikes on suspected smuggling vessels.
On Monday, the State Department officially declared that the would be designated a foreign terrorist organization.
The Cartel de los Soles, translated as “Cartel of the Suns,” denotes a network of Venezuelan government and military officials involved in drug trafficking.
Last week, Secretary of State stated that the Cartel de los Soles and other Venezuelan cartels were “responsible for terrorist violence throughout our hemisphere as well as for trafficking drugs into the United States and Europe.”
Emma Bussey of Digital contributed to this report.