U.S. Military Delegation Visits Venezuela After Maduro’s Arrest in Rare Diplomatic Shift

A senior U.S. military delegation led by General Francis Donovan, the top commander overseeing U.S. forces in Latin America, made a surprise visit to Venezuela on Wednesday, marking a significant development in U.S.-Venezuela relations. Accompanied by senior Pentagon official Joseph Humire, the delegation held high-level talks with officials in Caracas, according to U.S. authorities. The visit represents the first official U.S. military trip to Venezuela since American forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a dramatic raid last month and transported him to New York to face federal drug-trafficking charges.

The rare diplomatic engagement signals a new phase in U.S. foreign policy toward Venezuela under President Donald Trump. It follows a recent trip to Caracas by U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, highlighting Washington’s combined use of military strategy and energy diplomacy to influence political reforms in the South American nation.

According to U.S. Southern Command, General Donovan and Joseph Humire met with Venezuelan officials alongside newly appointed U.S. envoy Laura Dogu. Discussions focused on regional security, stabilization efforts, and implementing President Trump’s three-phase plan aimed at restructuring Venezuela’s political and economic systems. Southern Command stated that the talks emphasized strengthening shared security across the Western Hemisphere and advancing stability within Venezuela.

In a statement posted on X, Ambassador Laura Dogu described the visit as “another historic day,” noting that General Donovan began his trip by meeting U.S. military personnel managing operations at the U.S. embassy. He later met with interim Venezuelan authorities to assess the country’s security environment and promote closer alignment between Caracas and Washington.

High-level visits to Venezuela by U.S. officials have been rare in recent years due to strained relations dating back to the administrations of Hugo Chávez and Nicolas Maduro. This latest diplomatic outreach may signal a pivotal shift in bilateral relations and regional security cooperation in Latin America.