a Venezuela aligned with the United States
In the wake of Nicolás Maduro's capture by U.S. forces last January, the arc of Venezuelan history has bent sharply toward Washington — and this week, that arc was measured in person. General Francis Donovan, head of U.S. Southern Command, traveled to Caracas to assess how Venezuela's interim government is executing a three-phase American stabilization plan, meeting with leaders who were, not long ago, adversaries of the very power they now seek to embrace. The visit signals something rare in hemispheric affairs: a nation attempting to rebuild itself not from within, but in deliberate alignment with a foreign strategic vision.
- Maduro's January capture by U.S. forces shattered the old order overnight, leaving Venezuela's interim government scrambling to establish legitimacy and secure powerful allies.
- Diplomatic ties severed since 2019 are now being hastily rewired, with Delcy Rodríguez's administration meeting U.S. military and defense officials in a matter of weeks.
- Both governments announced joint cooperation on drug trafficking, terrorism, and migration — though a reference to terrorism was quietly removed from Venezuela's official statement after its initial release.
- Washington's three-phase roadmap — security stabilization, economic revival, and democratic alignment — is now the framework through which Venezuela's future is being negotiated.
- The interim government's most urgent ambitions are concrete: restored diplomatic relations and U.S. support for resurrecting a petroleum industry that once defined the nation's wealth.
- The Southern Command declared the meetings productive, but the deeper question — whether security agreements will translate into stability on the ground — remains entirely open.
When Francis Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command, landed in Caracas this week, he arrived in a country still absorbing the shock of its own transformation. Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores had been captured on January 3 during a U.S. military operation spanning the capital and three surrounding regions — an event that severed the old political order and opened the door to a new, uncertain chapter.
Donovan met with Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodríguez, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López, and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello. The two governments announced a bilateral cooperation agenda targeting drug trafficking, terrorism, and regional migration — though Communications Minister Miguel Ángel Pérez Pirela quietly walked back a specific reference to terrorism after its initial publication. U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Joseph M. Humire also participated in the discussions.
The visit was framed around evaluating Trump's three-phase plan for Venezuela: first, restoring security and stability; second, reviving the economy; and third, building what U.S. officials describe as a friendly, stable, prosperous, and democratic Venezuela aligned with American interests. U.S. Chargé d'Affaires Laura Dogu confirmed the meetings were aimed at assessing conditions on the ground and ensuring the plan's implementation was on track.
For Rodríguez's government, the stakes are immediate and practical — full diplomatic normalization with Washington and U.S. backing for the revival of Venezuela's petroleum industry. Donovan, for his part, reaffirmed American commitment to a 'free, secure, and prosperous Venezuela,' framing the partnership as beneficial not only to Venezuelans but to hemispheric stability at large. Whether the cooperation announced this week will take root in a country still finding its footing remains the defining question ahead.
Francis Donovan, commander of the U.S. Southern Command, arrived in Caracas this week to take stock of how Venezuela is executing what Washington calls a three-phase plan for the country's future. The visit marked a significant moment in the relationship between two nations whose diplomatic ties had been severed since 2019.
Donovan met with Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodríguez, along with Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello. According to Venezuela's Communications Minister Miguel Ángel Pérez Pirela, the two governments committed to working together on a bilateral cooperation agenda focused on combating drug trafficking and terrorism, as well as addressing migration challenges across the region. Pérez Pirela initially mentioned a joint commitment against terrorism in his statement but later removed that reference.
The three-phase plan Donovan came to evaluate was set in motion after Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were captured on January 3 during a U.S. military operation that extended across Caracas and three surrounding regions. Washington has outlined the transition in three stages: first, stabilizing the country and restoring security; second, reviving the economy; and third, moving toward what officials describe as a Venezuela that is friendly, stable, prosperous, and democratic.
Laura Dogu, the U.S. Chargé d'Affaires in Venezuela, stated that Donovan's visit concluded this week after meetings with interim authorities to assess security conditions, ensure implementation of Trump's plan, and work toward "the objective of a Venezuela aligned with the United States." The Southern Command characterized the meetings as productive, noting that Joseph M. Humire, the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, also participated in the discussions.
For Rodríguez's government, the visit represents part of a broader effort to restore full diplomatic relations with Washington and to secure American support for revitalizing Venezuela's petroleum industry, which has been central to the country's economy. The interim administration has maintained close contact with U.S. officials specifically to advance these goals. Donovan reiterated his country's commitment to supporting "a free, secure, and prosperous Venezuela" that would benefit both the Venezuelan people and broader hemispheric stability.
The Southern Command stated it remains committed to advancing both the National Security Strategy and National Defense Strategy by working collaboratively with partner nations to build a secure and prosperous future for the Western Hemisphere. What remains to be seen is how quickly the three phases unfold and whether the security cooperation announced this week translates into concrete results on the ground.
Notable Quotes
Both countries agreed to work on designing a bilateral cooperation agenda to combat illicit drug trafficking and terrorism, as well as address migration together— Venezuelan Communications Minister Miguel Ángel Pérez Pirela
The Southern Command remains committed to advancing the National Security Strategy and National Defense Strategy by working collaboratively with partner nations— U.S. Southern Command
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why did Donovan need to visit in person rather than conduct this assessment remotely?
Because you can't evaluate security implementation from a distance. He needed to meet the actual officials, see the conditions on the ground, and establish the kind of working relationship that matters when two militaries are supposed to coordinate.
The statement about terrorism was deleted. What does that tell you?
It suggests someone in Caracas got nervous about how that language would play domestically or internationally. Admitting to a terrorism problem—even in the context of cooperation—can be politically costly.
Is this about drug trafficking, or is it about something else?
It's framed as drug trafficking and security, but the real story is that Venezuela's government is trying to rebuild its relationship with Washington after years of hostility. The security cooperation is the vehicle for that.
What happens if the three phases don't work?
Then you have a country that's made itself dependent on U.S. support without having solved its underlying problems. That's a fragile position.
Does the interim government actually have the capacity to implement this plan?
That's the question no one's answering yet. Capacity and legitimacy are two different things.