Venezuela’s Maduro performs dance amid US military tensions and sanctions

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro danced to a remix of his own peace slogans at a student rally in Caracas – the latest act of defiance after his performance of John Lennon’s “Imagine” as US warships patrolled near its shores.

A video from the National College Student Day celebration shows Maduro swaying to the beat, apparently mimicking President Donald Trump’s signature dance moves — with a noticeably looser sway.

The electronic trail contained Maduro’s own phrases – recycled from speeches promoting peace and rejecting war – as tensions with the United States continue to rise.

Reuters identified the remix as “Peace, yes. War, no”. At one point, the Venezuelan leader punctuated the rhythm with finger guns – a playful “bench, bench” gesture captured on camera.

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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro delivers the annual speech at the Teatro Teresa Carreno in Caracas, Venezuela, January 15, 2025. (Jesus Vargas/Getty Images)

The clip surfaced about a week after Maduro sang “Imagine” at a rally, calling for peace as the Trump administration increased its military presence near Venezuela to stem drug trafficking.

Maduro invoked Lennon when speaking of peace, calling the former Beatles member a poet and musician who left a “gift to humanity.”

He urged young people to read the lyrics, describing the song as an anthem for every generation.

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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores parade in a military vehicle during Independence Day celebrations, in Caracas, July 5, 2025. (JUAN BARRETO/AFP via Getty Images)

In the video, Maduro paused in the middle of his speech to recall Lennon’s song, singing a few words before reflecting on its meaning.

“What a beautiful song. The lyrics – young people, look up the lyrics,” he said, according to a translation. “It is an inspiration for all times. It is an anthem for all eras and all generations that John Lennon left as a gift to humanity. Long live the eternal memory of this great poet and musician, John Lennon.”

As Maduro preaches peace, the United States has significantly increased its military presence in the Caribbean, deploying bombers, warships and Marines as part of a campaign targeting drug trafficking operations in the region, including airstrikes on ships suspected of smuggling.

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A U.S. military drone strike ordered by President Trump destroyed a ship in the Eastern Pacific on October 22, 2025, killing three suspected narcoterrorists, according to the War Department. (War Department)

On Monday, the State Department officially announced that the Cartel de los Soles would be designated as a foreign terrorist organization.

The Cartel de los Soles, or “Cartel of the Suns,” refers to a network of Venezuelan government and military officials engaged in drug trafficking.

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement last week that the Cartel de los Soles and other cartels in Venezuela were “responsible for terrorist violence throughout our hemisphere as well as drug trafficking into the United States and Europe.”

Emma Bussey of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.