One month after a U.S. military operation led to the capture in Caracas of her former boss and political mentor, Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez met Monday with the top U.S. diplomat in the country to review Washington’s plan for stabilizing the crisis-stricken nation and steering it toward a democratic transition.
Rodríguez received U.S. chargé d’affaires Laura Dogu at the Miraflores presidential palace to discuss a three-phase roadmap laid out by the administration of President Donald Trump, which calls for stabilization, economic recovery and an eventual transition to democratic rule.
“Today I met with Delcy Rodríguez and Jorge Rodríguez to reiterate the three phases that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has laid out for Venezuela: stabilization, economic recovery and reconciliation, and transition,” Dogu said in a message posted by the U.S. Embassy in Caracas on X.
The meeting came amid a dramatic reordering of power in Venezuela following the Jan. 3 capture of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, during a U.S. military operation in Caracas and nearby regions. The abrupt removal of Maduro left a vacuum that was quickly filled by Rodríguez, who assumed the interim presidency in a moment of acute political and institutional uncertainty.
Although Rodríguez has kept much of the Chavista state apparatus intact — including senior civilian, military and judicial officials — her government has operated from the outset under close U.S. supervision. The interim administration is bound to an international roadmap that demands measurable progress on democratic reforms, the release of political prisoners and restructuring of key sectors of the economy.
Within hours of the meeting, the Venezuelan government announced the appointment of former foreign minister Félix Plasencia as its diplomatic representative to the United States, formally restoring diplomatic channels after a seven-year rupture. Communications Minister Miguel Ángel Pérez Pirela said Plasencia will travel to the United States “in the coming days” to assume the post.
Foreign Minister Yván Gil said the reciprocal appointment of diplomats marks the beginning of an “exhaustive review” of bilateral cooperation. “We are building a productive agenda, an agenda of peace and respect,” Gil said in remarks broadcast on state television, describing an effort to reset relations with Washington.
Dogu arrived in Caracas over the weekend to reopen the U.S. diplomatic mission, which has been closed since 2019 after the Trump administration recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s interim president. Since then, U.S. policy toward Venezuela had been managed from an external office at the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá. The reopening comes nearly a month after Maduro’s capture.
One of the most contentious elements of the transition has been the release of political prisoners. Since the process was announced Jan. 8, progress has been slow and opaque. According to the human-rights group Foro Penal, 344 detainees have been released, though none have been granted full freedom. Most remain subject to travel restrictions, court supervision or other conditions that keep them under state control.
The interim government has also introduced a proposed General Amnesty Law covering acts of political violence dating back to 1999, while excluding serious crimes such as homicide, drug trafficking and human-rights abuses. The measure, pushed by Washington and cautiously welcomed by parts of the opposition, has raised alarms among rights groups. Foro Penal has warned that the law could enable impunity for officials who ordered or carried out state repression.
Government announcements about closing notorious detention centers such as El Helicoide and La Tumba have been framed as symbolic breaks with the past. But critics note that the judicial system remains largely intact, including judges appointed under the Maduro government.
Economically, Rodríguez’s government has moved swiftly to dismantle pillars of Venezuela’s state-controlled oil model. A new hydrocarbons law approved Jan. 30 reverses reforms imposed by former President Hugo Chávez and allows private companies — including U.S. firms — direct access to oil fields and the ability to sell crude without going through state oil company PDVSA.
The U.S. Department of Energy now oversees the management of Venezuela’s oil revenues, with funds earmarked for social programs under Washington-defined protocols. Trump has announced the immediate transfer of between 30 million and 50 million barrels of previously sanctioned Venezuelan oil to the United States, with proceeds held in accounts tied to humanitarian assistance.
Despite expectations of an economic rebound, risks remain high. Armed groups, including the Tren de Aragua criminal network and pro-government collectives, still control large swaths of territory, challenging the authority of the interim government and complicating efforts to restore public security. The social crisis also persists, with minimum wages failing to cover basic living costs and public services showing little improvement.
Meanwhile, opposition leader María Corina Machado said Monday she is willing to meet with Rodríguez to discuss a timetable for a democratic transition, a process she described as irreversible. Machado said any dialogue must begin with recognition of the July 28, 2024, presidential election, which the opposition says was won by its candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, despite the government declaring Maduro the victor.
“These people believed they were untouchable,” Machado said during a virtual briefing with Colombian media. “Everything that sustained the Maduro regime was repression.”
This story was complemented by el Nuevo Herald’s wire services.
©2026 Miami Herald. Visit miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
