Top US military commander visits Venezuela, meets new leader following operation to capture Maduro

The commander of U.S. Southern Command, Marine Gen. Francis L. Donovan, led a U.S. military delegation to Caracas, Venezuela on Wednesday to meet with the country's interim authorities. This marks the first U.S. military visit to Venezuela since the capture of former leader Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces in a January 3rd raid. The delegation included Ambassador Laura F. Dogu and U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary of War Joseph M. Humire. During the meeting, the U.S. representatives reaffirmed the United States' commitment to a free, safe, and prosperous Venezuela. The purpose of the visit was to engage with the new leadership following the recent change in power.

A US military delegation, led by General Francis Donovan, commander overseeing US forces in Latin America, and senior Pentagon official Joseph Humire, made a surprise visit to Venezuela on Wednesday for security talks. This is the first US military delegation visit since the capture of Nicolas Maduro last month. The US officials met with interim President Delcy Rodriguez, Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino, and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello to discuss cooperation on combating drug trafficking, terrorism, and migration. The visit follows a trip to Caracas last week by US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. These trips highlight US President Donald Trump’s efforts to use military might and energy policy to push Venezuela to carry out sweeping reforms.