She needs American support but also needs to appear independent
In the weeks following the January capture of Nicolás Maduro, the United States has moved from the shadows of intervention into the open corridors of governance, sending its Southern Command chief to Caracas to sit with Venezuela's interim leadership. General Francis Donovan's visit — accompanied by diplomatic and defense officials — reflects a broader American wager that military action can be converted into lasting order. The moment raises an ancient question that empires and neighbors alike have never fully answered: whether stability imposed from outside can ever truly take root within.
- Maduro's capture six weeks ago left a power vacuum that Washington is now racing to fill through a coordinated blend of military presence and diplomatic overture.
- US operations in Caribbean and Pacific waters since September have destroyed roughly thirty vessels and killed more than one hundred people, casting a long shadow over any claim of purely stabilizing intent.
- Interim president Delcy Rodríguez publicly condemns the operation that removed her predecessor while simultaneously signaling openness to cooperation — a contradiction that defines the fragile ground both governments are walking.
- Energy Secretary Chris Wright's visit to Caracas just days prior — the highest-ranking American official there in nearly thirty years — revealed that oil investment, not just security, is driving Washington's engagement.
- General Donovan's meetings focused on implementing the first phase of Trump's three-part stabilization plan, but the interim government's full response to the visit remains publicly unaddressed.
General Francis Donovan, the newly confirmed head of US Southern Command, arrived in Caracas on Wednesday alongside the US chargé d'affaires and a senior Pentagon official for meetings with Venezuela's interim leadership. The visit came roughly six weeks after Southern Command orchestrated the operation that led to Nicolás Maduro's capture — an event that now defines the country's uncertain present. Maduro faces narcoterrorism and drug trafficking charges in New York, allegations he has rejected.
The discussions centered on security coordination and the first phase of a Trump administration three-part stabilization plan. Southern Command described the meetings as productive, framing its role as building a secure and prosperous hemisphere alongside regional partners. Yet the same command has been conducting operations in international waters since September, destroying approximately thirty vessels and killing more than one hundred people in anti-narcotics efforts — a record that complicates the language of partnership.
Interim president Delcy Rodríguez, who assumed power after Maduro's arrest, has publicly criticized the American military operation that unseated him, even as she signals willingness to cooperate. That tension sharpened just before Donovan's arrival, when Energy Secretary Chris Wright visited Caracas — the most senior American official to do so in nearly three decades — and both governments announced they were developing a bilateral energy agenda, with Washington eyeing Venezuelan oil investment.
The convergence of military and economic diplomacy points to a sustained American strategy rather than a passing intervention. For Rodríguez's government, the challenge is accepting foreign support without surrendering the credibility needed to govern. For Washington, the deeper question is whether a transition it helped engineer can achieve legitimacy in the eyes of Venezuelans themselves — a question Donovan's visit raises but does not resolve.
General Francis L. Donovan, the newly confirmed head of U.S. Southern Command, arrived in Venezuela on Wednesday for a series of meetings with the country's interim leadership. The visit marked a significant moment in the American military establishment's direct engagement with Venezuela following the January capture of former president Nicolás Maduro. Donovan, nominated by President Trump in December and confirmed by the Senate earlier this year, came alongside Laura F. Dogu, the U.S. chargé d'affaires in Caracas, and Joseph M. Humire, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for Western Hemisphere security affairs.
The conversations centered on security matters and what both sides described as the stabilization of Venezuela—a country now led by interim president Delcy Rodríguez following Maduro's detention. According to statements from the U.S. Embassy, the discussions focused specifically on implementing the first phase of Trump's three-part plan for the nation. The American military command characterized the meetings as productive and emphasized its commitment to working with regional partners to build what it called a secure and prosperous future across the hemisphere.
The timing of Donovan's visit underscores the depth of American military involvement in Venezuela's transition. Just six weeks earlier, Southern Command—the branch of the U.S. Armed Forces responsible for military operations across Latin America—orchestrated the operation that led to Maduro's capture. The former president now faces charges in New York of narcoterrorism, drug trafficking, and weapons violations, allegations he has rejected. That same command has been conducting operations in international waters of the Caribbean and Pacific since September, targeting vessels suspected of carrying narcotics. These operations have resulted in the destruction of approximately thirty ships and the deaths of more than one hundred people.
The relationship between Washington and Venezuela's interim government remains complicated. Rodríguez, who assumed the presidency after Maduro's arrest, has publicly criticized the American military operation that removed her predecessor from power. Yet she has simultaneously signaled a willingness to cooperate with the United States on matters of mutual interest. That apparent contradiction came into sharper focus just days before Donovan's arrival, when U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright visited Caracas—the highest-ranking American official to set foot in Venezuela in nearly three decades. In a joint statement, both governments announced they were developing a bilateral energy agenda, with Washington expressing interest in American companies investing in Venezuelan oil extraction.
The convergence of military and economic diplomacy suggests a broader American strategy taking shape. Southern Command's role extends beyond security coordination; it oversees the military operations that have defined the post-Maduro period. Meanwhile, the energy sector discussions hint at the economic dimensions of American engagement. Rodríguez's government faces the dual challenge of consolidating power while managing international pressure and the practical demands of rebuilding state capacity. The Venezuelan government's communications ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Donovan's visit, leaving the interim administration's full perspective on these discussions unclear.
What remains to be seen is whether the current trajectory—military intervention followed by diplomatic engagement and economic opportunity—will produce the stability both governments claim to seek. The interim leadership in Caracas must navigate between accepting American support and maintaining enough independence to govern credibly. For Washington, the challenge is deeper: sustaining a military and diplomatic presence in a country where the legitimacy of the transition itself remains contested by significant portions of the population. Donovan's visit signals that the American commitment to shaping Venezuela's future is not a passing moment but an ongoing engagement.
Citações Notáveis
The conversations focused on security and implementing Trump's three-phase stabilization plan for Venezuela— U.S. Embassy statement
Rodríguez has criticized the American military operation but declared herself willing to have a relationship of cooperation and respect with the U.S.— Delcy Rodríguez, interim president of Venezuela
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why did Donovan need to visit in person? Couldn't this have been handled through diplomatic channels?
Because this isn't just diplomacy—it's about military coordination. Southern Command runs the operations that removed Maduro. The interim government needs to understand what comes next, and Donovan needs to see the ground himself.
But Rodríguez has criticized those operations. Isn't there a contradiction in her meeting with him?
Yes, and that's the real story. She needs American support to consolidate power, but she also needs to appear independent to her own people. So she criticizes the operation while cooperating with the operator.
What about the energy talks with Chris Wright? Are those connected?
They're the carrot after the stick. Military intervention clears the field, then economic opportunity follows. It's a sequenced approach—security first, then investment.
Over a hundred people died in those Caribbean operations. Does that factor into these conversations?
Not visibly. The official statements talk about stabilization and prosperity. The deaths are treated as a separate matter, part of the drug war, not part of the Venezuela transition.
What's the real risk here?
That the interim government becomes seen as a puppet, which undermines its legitimacy. Or that American military presence becomes permanent, which creates resentment. Rodríguez is trying to thread a needle that might not have a middle.