A high-ranking U.S. military officer, General Francis L. Donovan, made a surprise visit to Venezuela on Wednesday to hold security talks with Venezuelan officials, according to U.S. and Venezuelan sources. This is the first U.S. military delegation to visit the country since the controversial capture of former President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces last January.
Alongside Donovan were Joseph M. Humire, a senior Pentagon official for homeland defense and Americas affairs, and Laura Farnsworth Dogu, the new U.S. chargé d'affaires in Venezuela. According to a statement from U.S. Southern Command, the discussions focused on the regional security environment and the implementation of a three-phase plan championed by the president's administration. Donald Trumpfocused in particular on stabilizing the country.
The Venezuelan government, represented at the talks by interim president Delcy Rodríguez, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino, and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, stated that an agreement had been reached to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking, terrorism, and migration flows. Caracas emphasized that diplomacy should remain the primary mechanism for resolving disputes.
Donovan's visit comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Caracas, marked by the US intervention in January that led to Maduro's arrest on drug trafficking charges. It follows other recent trips by high-ranking US officials, including the Secretary of Energy, underscoring a clear US desire to exert greater influence in Latin America and promote political and security reforms in Venezuela.
According to US authorities, this mission is a milestone in bilateral security cooperation and aims to strengthen stability not only in Venezuela but also throughout the Western Hemisphere.
