Venezuela Sees Unexpected Shift as U.S. Engagement Increases Following Maduro Capture
Caracas, Venezuela — Less than two months have passed since U.S. Special forces captured longtime Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro during a nighttime operation in Caracas, but the changes in this South American nation are already palpable. A renewed sense of optimism is emerging in a country long burdened by political and economic turmoil.
Having been based in Caracas since 2016, the transformation is striking. Over the past decade, Venezuela has faced a mass exodus – with roughly a quarter of its population fleeing a catastrophic economic collapse – a surge in crime rates, and years of protests against Maduro’s rule, often met with tear gas and rubber bullets.
Despite these challenges, Maduro remained firmly in power. During the turbulent months of 2019, while reporting from Caracas, the observation from the Italian novel “The Leopard,” about the conquest of Sicily in the 19th century – “Everything must change so that everything remains the same” – often came to mind.
Under Maduro, elections were held almost annually, yet the leadership at the top remained constant. Similarly, the ongoing economic crisis persisted despite attempts to circumvent U.S. Sanctions with a national cryptocurrency, the Petro, or to combat hyperinflation by removing five zeros from the bolívar, the national currency. Even late last year, no crisis seemed large enough to prompt a change in government, and Venezuela appeared trapped in a repeating cycle.
That changed on January 3, when U.S. Special forces captured Maduro in Caracas and transported him to New York City to face narcotics trafficking charges, which he denies. In his absence, former Vice President Delcy Rodriguez assumed the role of interim president, swiftly altering the country’s geopolitical outlook. Just 39 days into her tenure, Rodriguez welcomed U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright to Caracas – the highest-ranking U.S. Official to visit since President Bill Clinton in 1997.
This visit, which I covered, underscores the significant shift underway in Venezuela. One of the most surreal moments witnessed recently occurred not in Caracas, but at a Chevron oil field called Petroindependencia1, located in a remote area.
CNN was one of three international news agencies invited to accompany Rodriguez and Wright on a tour showcasing the potential of what is believed to be the world’s largest oil reserves. The scene appeared straightforward: two leaders visiting an industrial complex, shaking hands, smiling for cameras, and delivering brief remarks.
What was unexpected was Rodriguez and Wright traveling together in the same vehicle with a minimal security detail, Rodriguez seamlessly switching between English and Spanish to ensure the Secretary felt comfortable, and engaging in detailed technical discussions about oil well operations – including the intricacies of crude oil demulsification processes.
For the past 27 years, the United States has been Venezuela’s primary adversary. Under Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chávez, projects by Western companies like Chevron were often tolerated, but frequently expropriated, while the government pursued closer commercial ties with Iran and Russia for political reasons. Public officials often avoided speaking English, viewing it as “the language of the Empire.”
In recent weeks, Rodriguez has reversed course, installing a new economic leadership team described as competent and meticulous, abandoning combative rhetoric to forge relationships with American and European companies – the latter receiving new licenses last week – and seeking positive relations with the few businesses that remained in the country.
CNN analysis of data shows that, in the weeks since Rodriguez took office, at least seven tankers have departed from the port visited, bound for Texas and Louisiana. According to the White House, the U.S. Is facilitating the sale of hundreds of millions of barrels of oil – profits that are already beginning to circulate and ease inflationary pressures, making Caracas feel more affordable this month than in December.
However, significant operate remains. Chevron states that the facility visited currently produces around 40,000 barrels per day, but has a capacity seven times greater. Secretary Wright noted that “political obstacles” still need to be removed, and that will take time, but when asked, Rodriguez told me that the two countries are working tirelessly to consolidate a new energy partnership that she hopes will be “long-term.”
This represents a significant shift for a leader who, as recently as 2019, stated that “capitalism is incapable of generating happiness.”
Challenges to the Government, One Step at a Time
While our group visited the oil fields on Thursday, student groups took to the streets in Caracas and other cities, demanding the release of political prisoners – hundreds of whom remain incarcerated, according to human rights organizations. These were compact protests, involving hundreds rather than tens of thousands, but a sign that, slowly but surely, the repressive machinery of Caracas is no longer feared as it once was.
Student protests have long been a cornerstone of the anti-Maduro opposition, but the last time the democratic movement ventured into the streets was in January 2025. In July of the previous year, security forces arrested more than 2,000 protesters in less than two days to suppress the uprising, after electoral authorities awarded Maduro a controversial victory despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
This time, protesters avoided confrontation with police, according to their leader, Miguelangel Suarez. Suarez, a 26-year-old political science student, believes there is now an opening to reclaim public space. “We have the opportunity to test how far (repression) is willing to go. The moment to push for political guarantees is now,” he told me.
Other opposition leaders are also challenging the government more openly than before. On February 9, Juan Pablo Guanipa, a close ally of Nobel laureate Maria Corina Machado and who spent more than eight months in prison, was re-detained hours after being released for leading a protest in Caracas. Instead of being returned to a cell, he was placed under house arrest and may receive a full pardon if an amnesty law currently under discussion is passed.
Machado remains the undisputed leader of Venezuela’s democratic movement, but has remained on the sidelines in recent weeks, stating that she trusts the Trump administration will push for a full transition to democracy – and new elections – once the country is stable and the economic crisis is under control.
What I have witnessed in Caracas falls short of Machado’s ambitions, as the Maduro government remains in power, even if he is not. Machado has stated her intention to return to Caracas as soon as possible, but it is unclear whether she will be allowed to do so. She declined to speak with CNN for this article.
Suarez told me that he respects Machado’s leadership within the democratic movement, but believes Venezuela must achieve other tangible goals before returning to the polls: “To rebuild Venezuela, Machado must be allowed to be in the country, all our exiled brothers must be allowed to enter. Political prisoners must be released, political parties must be able to do politics, electoral authorities must change, and there must be a separation of powers. When we achieve that, we can move forward with the transition to democracy.”
Did Trump Get It Right?
A similar caution was palpable among several diplomats with whom I spoke. The consensus, at least within the international community, is that Venezuela is taking its first small steps toward democracy, but should not rush. “Slowly but surely” was something I heard from more than one source, most of whom requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Throughout 2025, the escalating confrontation between Maduro and U.S. President Donald Trump seemed to offer Venezuela no quality options, caught between an authoritarian government and a threat of foreign intervention reminiscent of Iraq around 2003.
foreign intervention occurred, but was far less bloody than feared, and the personnel arriving from the U.S. Have consisted of diplomats and oil industry executives, rather than marines. This signals a deliberate pace – no statues of Maduro have been torn down yet – but also an effort to avoid the mistakes of endless wars.
The shift is that today feels better than yesterday, and Venezuela believes in the opportunity to develop tomorrow even better. The change in mindset is profound, even with the obstacles left by 12 years of authoritarianism.
No one in Caracas is under any illusions: the country is on its knees, and much work remains before Venezuela can be great again, but even the most severe critics must acknowledge the enthusiasm. Perhaps the most surreal conversation I had was not hearing a Chavista president praise capitalism, or friends who have been abroad for eight years finally looking for a flight to Caracas, but a European diplomat who, after a long pause, told me: “At least for now, we have to admit that Trump got this one right.”
