U.S.–Venezuela Policy

After meeting President Trump at the White House on Jan. 15 — where she presented him with her Nobel Peace Prize medal — opposition leader María Corina Machado said Venezuela will hold "free and fair" elections "eventually" and "as soon as possible," but she gave no timeline. She said credible voting must await dismantling the country's repression apparatus, including restoring rule of law and freeing political prisoners, comments that come as Caracas has announced a limited prisoner release that rights groups say leaves hundreds detained and as the U.S. engages acting president Delcy Rodríguez.

U.S. officials confirmed a limited number of diplomatic and technical personnel are in Caracas conducting initial assessments for a potential phased resumption of operations — including reopening the U.S. embassy and consulates — the administration’s first on‑record acknowledgment of a team on the ground. Separately, reporting says the CIA director traveled to Venezuela to meet with acting President Delcy Rodríguez as part of broader engagement following Maduro’s capture.

After the U.S. raid that ousted Nicolás Maduro, President Trump has made former Maduro vice president Delcy Rodríguez the Biden‑era U.S. government's primary partner in Caracas—holding calls and meetings, dispatching CIA Director John Ratcliffe, pressing for the expulsion of suspected foreign intelligence personnel, asserting indefinite U.S. control over seized Venezuelan oil (announcing 30–50 million barrels to be sold at market price), meeting with Exxon, Chevron and ConocoPhillips, and completing an initial $500 million sale while U.S. forces interdicted tankers tied to sanctioned shipments. The shift has drawn scrutiny because AP‑obtained DEA files reportedly designated Rodríguez a 2022 DEA "priority target" — a label used for major drug‑trafficking or money‑laundering suspects — and she had been previously sanctioned by the U.S., even as she publicly calls for opening Venezuela’s oil sector and continues prisoner releases amid regional protests over raid casualties.