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A top US general has wrapped up a visit to Venezuela to meet with Venezuelan officials.
Getting into it: In an announcement by US Southern Command, Marine Gen. Francis L. Donovan (the commander overseeing US military operations across Latin America and the Caribbean) traveled to Caracas on February 18 in his first trip to the region since assuming leadership of the command earlier in the month. Donovan, who previously served as the No. 2 official at US Special Operations Command, is responsible for directing American military posture and security operations throughout the Western Hemisphere. His visit marked the first time a US military delegation had traveled to Venezuela since US forces captured former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro in a January raid.
While in Caracas, Donovan first met with US Joint Force service members stationed at embassy facilities before holding talks with interim President Delcy Rodríguez. He also met with Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, key figures in Venezuela’s interim leadership. According to US Southern Command, the meetings focused on assessing Venezuela’s security environment and ensuring implementation of President Donald Trump’s three-phase plan, particularly the stabilization phase.
Discussions also centered on shared security priorities across the Western Hemisphere, including cooperation to combat drug trafficking, terrorism, and migration. Venezuelan officials said both sides agreed to design a bilateral cooperation agenda addressing those threats.
Donovan was joined by Ambassador Laura F. Dogu, the US chargé d’affaires for the Venezuela Affairs Unit, and Joseph M. Humire, the acting assistant secretary for homeland defense and the Americas.
The trip came shortly after Energy Secretary Chris Wright traveled to Caracas to assess the state of Venezuela’s oil industry and after CIA Director John Ratcliffe held discussions with Rodríguez about economic collaboration and security concerns.
