Venezuela observed a month since the U.S. arrest of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in a significant law enforcement operation in Caracas on January 3. This anniversary coincides with the initial phase of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s three-step initiative aimed at restoring democracy in Venezuela, which was introduced to parliament last week.
On that early January morning, U.S. troops conducted Operation Absolute Resolve, securing the capture of Maduro and Flores from their base at Fuertetiuna, the country’s largest military complex. Following their arrest, the socialist government has been managed by Maduro’s vice president and oil minister, Delcy Rodriguez, who stepped in as “acting president.”
Currently, both Maduro and Flores are being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, facing multiple charges related to narco-terrorism. According to left-leaning network Telesur, the Venezuelan government hosted a vigil in Caracas on Tuesday, calling for the “release” of Maduro and Flores. Maduro’s son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, lamented on social media about missing his father’s guidance and assured supporters that the regime would prevail in the end. His comments come despite his own implication in his father’s alleged drug trafficking activities, and he claimed that history would expose the “traitors” involved in his father’s arrest.
The Venezuelan regime has stated that U.S. forces caused the deaths of “between 100 and 120 people” during the operation, but exact figures remain unprovided due to the condition of the bodies. Moreover, 32 Cuban security personnel reportedly lost their lives, indicating the long-standing military ties between Cuba and Venezuela. The remains of the Cuban soldiers were returned home in mid-January, raising questions about the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
A report from El Nacional noted that life in Caracas has been marked by a kind of “normality” steeped in both pragmatism and fear since Maduro’s arrest. While regime armored vehicles still patrol the streets, it highlighted that the power dynamic is now precariously unstable, with the leadership relying on U.S. intelligence reports.
The report went on to underline that the events of January 3 revealed serious deficiencies within Venezuela’s defense systems, with no American casualties reported. Despite the turbulent backdrop, President Trump indicated that Rodriguez had been cooperating with the United States, which plays a crucial role in managing Venezuela’s oil exports. Recently, Venezuela’s socialist National Assembly passed a bill that modifies strict hydrocarbon laws, granting private companies greater access to the oil sector.
Interestingly, even while maintaining anti-U.S. rhetoric, Rodriguez has been engaging with the Trump administration. There were recent phone conversations between Trump and Rodriguez, and soon after, Rodriguez met with CIA Director John Ratcliffe in Caracas.
On Monday, Rodriguez and her brother met with Ambassador Laura Dogu, who is overseeing the gradual reopening of the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela, which has been closed since 2019. Dogu spoke about a three-step strategy to restore democracy, emphasizing collaboration with Venezuelans across various sectors.
The timeline of their meeting also coincides with the anniversary of Hugo Chávez’s inauguration, a day commemorated in Venezuela. Dogu expressed her commitment to working toward a friendly and democratic Venezuela, while outlining the goals of immediate stabilization, economic recovery, and ultimately, a democratic transition.
Despite significant announcements on political prisoners last month, the actual release rate remained muddled. An NGO reported that since early January, 344 political prisoners were freed, but 687 were still reported missing, as uncertainties persisted regarding their cases.
On Friday, Delcy Rodriguez mentioned a forthcoming amnesty bill addressing political violence from 1999 onwards and announced plans to close a notorious torture facility known as the “Helicoid.” This site, originally intended to be a mall, has recently been slated for transformation into a community hub.
Nevertheless, many political prisoners still languish in the Helicoid, and there hasn’t been much legislative discussion regarding the proposed amnesty at the time of the announcement. In reaction to the ongoing situation, peaceful protests have erupted around Caracas, with demonstrators calling for an inclusive amnesty and the release of all political prisoners.
“Just 30 days ago, such actions seemed impossible,” noted anti-socialist opposition leader María Colina Machado on social media, sharing images of the protests.
