"Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro celebrated the country's achievements and called for peace during a Christmas message delivered from Caracas on Wednesday. Footage shows Maduro walking through a neighbourhood west of the capital alongside First Lady Cilia Flores. There, he delivered a speech reflecting on Venezuela's cultural and historical roots and emphasising the role of the Venezuelan people in building the country. "Here we were forged, among the corridors, there alongside the people, amid the drums of Mandinga, of Ricardo and of the Madera group that raised its voice of rebellion and its songs forever," Maduro said. The President emphasised that the people of Venezuela have been "endowed by God with a good and victorious soul, describing Christmas as a blessing and a moment of rebirth. Maduro also reiterated that Venezuela is consolidating itself as "a zone of peace, [...] of free men and women". "Peace will be our harbour, our destiny and our glory," he stressed. "We tell you from here, from the neighbourhoods of Caracas, Merry Christmas and a prosperous year 2026 for the Venezuela of peace." The call for peace comes amid heightened tensions with the United States. President Donald Trump recently stated that he does not rule out a possible war with Venezuela, days after ordering a 'total blockade' of 'sanctioned oil tankers' entering and leaving the country - a measure that resulted in two vessels being seized in international waters off the Venezuelan coast. Tensions between Washington and Caracas have intensified since September, when US Armed Forces began attacks against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, which have left more than 100 dead and at least 30 vessels destroyed."