Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro danced to a remix of his own peace slogans at a student rally in Caracas – the final act of defiance after his performance of John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ as US warships patrolled the coast.
Video from the National University Students Day celebration shows Maduro swaying to the beat and seemingly mimicking President Donald Trump’s signature dance moves — with a noticeably looser swing.
The electronic song featured Maduro’s own lines – recycled from speeches in which he promoted peace and rejected war – as tensions with the US continue to rise.
Reuters identified the remix as “Peace, yes. War, no.” At one point, the Venezuelan leader interrupted the rhythm with finger guns – a playful “bank, bank” gesture caught on camera.
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President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro delivers the annual speech at Teatro Teresa Carreno in Caracas, Venezuela on January 15, 2025. (Jesus Vargas/Getty Images)
The clip appeared about a week after Maduro sang “Imagine” at a rally, urging peace as the Trump administration beefed up its military presence near Venezuela to stem drug trafficking.
Maduro appealed to Lennon when speaking 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 and described 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 on July 5, 2025. (JUAN BARRETO/AFP via Getty Images)
In the video, Maduro paused mid-speech to remember 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 the ages. It is 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 US has significantly increased its military presence in the Caribbean, deploying bombers, warships and Marines as part of a campaign against drug trafficking in the region, including airstrikes on suspected smuggling ships.
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On Monday, the State Department formally 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 government and military officials in Venezuela involved 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 “are responsible for terrorist violence in our hemisphere and for drug trafficking into the United States and Europe.”
