Maduro dances to his own peace track while US ramps up Caribbean show of force

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” while U.S. warships patrol near its coast.

Video from the National University Student Day celebration shows Maduro swaying to the beat, seemingly mimicking President Donald Trump’s trademark dance moves – with a noticeably looser sway.

The electronic track featured Maduro’s own phrases – recycled from speeches promoting peace and rejecting war – as tensions with the U.S. continue rising.

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

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President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro delivers the annual address at Teatro Teresa Carreno in Caracas, Venezuela on Jan. 15, 2025. (Jesus Vargas/Getty Images)

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

Maduro invoked Lennon as he spoke about peace, calling the former member of The Beatles 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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Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores parade in a military vehicle during celebrations for the Independence Day, in Caracas on July 5, 2025.  (JUAN BARRETO/AFP via Getty Images)

In the video, Maduro paused mid-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’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.”

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

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A U.S. military drone strike ordered by President Trump destroyed a vessel in the Eastern Pacific on Oct. 22, 2025, killing three suspected narco-terrorists, according to the Department of War. (Department of War)

On Monday, the State Department formally announced 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 government and military officials in Venezuela 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 for trafficking drugs into the United States and Europe.”

Fox News Digital’s Emma Bussey contributed to this report.