General Dan Cain’s Visit to Venezuela

Dan Cain, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made his first visit to Caracas, Venezuela, on Wednesday, which is notable as it comes five months after the arrest of Nicolas Maduro.

According to a statement from the Office of the Chairman, Press Secretary Joe Halstead mentioned that General Cain engaged in discussions with senior officials from the Venezuelan Transitional Government as well as U.S. Embassy leaders. He also toured the U.S. Embassy’s Maritime Security Enhancement Unit.

The statement highlighted, “General Cain stressed the necessity of joint efforts to stabilize Venezuela, enhance security across the Western Hemisphere, and execute President Trump’s three-phase plan.” It added that the U.S. is dedicated to collaborating with Venezuela for a stable, prosperous, and democratic future.

General Cain’s visit is significant, occurring just five months after the U.S. military’s operation that led to Maduro’s arrest in Caracas, an action authorized by President Trump. Since that time, Venezuela’s government, now led by “acting president” Delcy Rodriguez, has been engaging with the U.S. as the Trump administration pushes forward with its three-phase plan aimed at re-establishing democracy in the country. Historically, Venezuela had maintained strong ties and trade relations with the U.S. prior to the rise of Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chávez.

As of now, General Cain’s visit marks a growing trend of senior U.S. officials making official visits to Caracas and meeting with Rodriguez and members of the socialist government. The two nations restored diplomatic relations in March, ending a seven-year hiatus initiated by Maduro in 2019.

This visit also followed a rapid response exercise conducted by the U.S. military in Caracas in late May. Marine General Francis L. Donovan from U.S. Southern Command made his second visit to observe military operations there.

Interestingly, General Cain did not meet with Rodriguez as she was attending meetings in New Delhi. Instead, he and his team were welcomed by Oliver Blanco, the Deputy Foreign Minister for Europe and North America.

Blanco explained that General Cain’s discussions with Venezuelan officials focused on shared security concerns and enhancing bilateral cooperation for mutual benefit.

On a related note, Indian President Narendra Modi had a meeting with Rodriguez on Thursday. Reports indicated this encounter primarily centered on reviewing cooperation in the hydrocarbons sector.

Thanks to the ongoing cooperation between the U.S. and Venezuela, India has also ramped up its oil imports from Venezuela, now sourcing around 427,000 barrels per day. This shift has occurred as India, which imports about 90% of its oil, seeks alternatives amid disruptions from Iranian threats in commercial shipping channels. As a result, Venezuela seems to be capturing a share of the Indian market previously dominated by Iranian oil.