 | |
 United States |  Venezuela |
|---|---|
| Diplomatic mission | |
| Embassy of the United States, Caracas | Embassy of Venezuela, Washington, D.C. |
| Envoy | |
| Chargé d'AffairesLaura Dogu | Chargé d'AffairesFélix Plasencia |
The diplomatic relationship between theUnited States of America and theBolivarian Republic of Venezuela has been strained during the 21st century.
Relations were strong during the second half of the 20th century. This changed in 1999 whenHugo Chávez took office as president of Venezuela. Years later, Chávez declared himselfsocialist andanti-imperialist, in reference to being against the government of the United States. Tensions between the countries increased further after Venezuela accused theGeorge W. Bush administration of supporting the2002 Venezuelan coup d'état attempt against Chávez,[1][2] an accusation that was partly retracted later.[3] Relations were further strained when Venezuela expelled the U.S. ambassador in September 2008 in solidarity withBolivia after a U.S. ambassador was accused of cooperating with violent anti-government groups in the country. Though relations thawed somewhat under PresidentBarack Obama in 2009, they steadily deteriorated once again shortly afterwards. In February 2014, the Venezuelan government ordered three American diplomats out of the country on unproved accusations of promoting violence.[4][5]
During the2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis,Nicolás Maduro announced that Venezuela was breaking ties with the United States, following PresidentDonald Trump's announcement that the U.S. recognizedJuan Guaidó, the president of theNational Assembly, as interim president.[6] Although the United States stopped recognizing Guaidó's presidential claim when the opposition National Assembly's vote to dissolve Guaidó's interim government took effect in 2023,[7] the U.S. continued to recognize the National Assembly elected in the2015 parliamentary election.
In 2025, during thesecond Trump administration, the United States sent Venezuelans accused of being members of Venezuelan gangTren de Aragua to theCenter for the Confinement of Terrorism (CECOT), a maximum security prison inEl Salvador.[8][9] That same year, the US government designated gangs such as Tren de Aragua, along with theCartel of the Suns, as terrorist organizations.[10][11][12] In September 2025, the United States started to carry outairstrikes against alleged drug boats as part of amilitary buildup in the Caribbean Sea.[13][14] In January 2026, the U.S.conducted a military operation, capturing Maduro and his wife and transferring them to New York. After the ouster of Maduro, the United States and Venezuela have begun taking the first steps towards restoring relations.[15]
During the Latin American wars of independence, the United States was officially neutral but permitted Latin American agents to obtain weapons and supplies. With the reception ofManuel Torres in 1821, theGran Colombia (present-day Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, northern Peru, Venezuela, western Guyana and northwest Brazil) became the first former Spanish colony recognized by the United States, and the United States was the second government (after theKingdom of Brazil) to recognize an independent Latin American state.[16] The first diplomatic envoy from the U.S. arrived inBogotá December 1822.[17] The next year theAnderson–Gual Treaty became the first bilateral treaty the U.S. concluded with anotherAmerican country. It established mutualmost favored nation status between the countries.[18][19]
When American diplomat,Herbert Wolcott Bowen, returned to Venezuela in January 1904, he noticed Venezuela seemed more peaceful and secure. Castro would reassure Bowen that the United States and Venezuela were experiencing a strong relationship. However, after the Castro regime delayed fulfilling the agreements which ended theVenezuelan crisis of 1902–03, Bowen lost confidence. This would eventually lead to the Castro regime's economic policy angering the United States, France, and the Netherlands.[20] This would play a crucial role in theDutch–Venezuelan crisis of 1908.
DictatorMarcos Pérez Jiménez overthrew the elected president,Rómulo Gallegos, and seized power in the1948 Venezuelan coup d'état. During this prosperity, foreign investment, particularly from American oil companies, grew along with the support from the Jiménez Regime. The anti-communist regime allowed and supported the exploitation of the country's natural resources by theAmerican oil industry, as a portion of the profits made its way from companies likeMobil andExxon[21] to the personal coffers of Pérez Jiménez.[22][23]
Pérez Jiménez received theLegion of Merit from the U.S. government in 1954.[22]
The Seguridad Nacional, headed by Pedro Estrada, tortured thousands of Venezuelans and disappeared several others, both in its headquarters inCaracas and in a confinement camp on Guasina Island in the jungles of theOrinoco. After the1958 Venezuelan coup d'état, when Pérez Jiménez abandoned the government and the country on 23 January 1958, more than 400 prisoners were found in the basement of the headquarters of theSeguridad Nacional.[24]
During the evacuation of survivors of theVargas tragedy, when torrential rains and the flash floods anddebris flows in theVargas State in 2000 killed tens of thousands of people and destroyed thousands of homes, a disaster relief team from the United States headed up byNew Mexico State SenatorJoseph Carraro arrived with a medical team and supplies, and to provide water purification and sleeping units.[25]
Chávez initially accepted assistance from anyone who offered, with the United States sending helicopters and dozens of soldiers that arrived two days after the disaster. When defense minister Raúl Salazar complied with the offer of the United States' further aid that included 450 Marines and naval engineers aboard theUSSTortuga, Chávez told Salazar to decline the offer since "[i]t was a matter of sovereignty". Salazar became angry and assumed that Chávez's opinion was influenced by talks withFidel Castro, though he complied with the order. Though additional aid was necessary, Chávez thought a more revolutionary image was more important and the USSTortuga returned to its port, according to author Rory Carroll.[26]
In April 2002, Chávez was briefly removed from power during the2002 Venezuelan coup attempt while an interim government led.[27]The Guardian published a claim byWayne Madsen alleging U.S. Navy involvement.[28] U.S. SenatorChristopher Dodd, D-CT, requested an investigation of concerns that Washington appeared to condone the removal of Chávez,[29][30] which found that "U.S. officials acted appropriately and did nothing to encourage an April coup against Venezuela's president" nor did they provide any naval logistical support.[31][32]CIA documents indicate that the Bush administration knew about a plot weeks before the April 2002 military coup. They cite a document dated 6 April 2002, which says: "dissident military factions...are stepping up efforts to organize a coup against President Chávez, possibly as early as this month."[27] According toWilliam Brownfield, ambassador to Venezuela, the U.S. embassy in Venezuela warned Chávez about a coup plot in April 2002.[33] Further, theUnited States Department of State and the investigation by theOffice of the Inspector General found no evidence that "U.S. assistance programs in Venezuela, including those funded by theNational Endowment for Democracy (NED), were inconsistent with U.S. law or policy" or ". . . directly contributed, or was intended to contribute, to [the coup d'état]."[31][34]
Chávez also claimed, during the coup's immediate aftermath, that the U.S. was still seeking his overthrow. On 6 October 2002, he stated that he had foiled a new coup plot, and on 20 October 2002, he stated that he had barely escaped an assassination attempt while returning from a trip to Europe. However, his administration failed to investigate or present conclusive evidence to that effect. During that period, the US Ambassador to Venezuela warned the Chávez administration of two potential assassination plots.[33]
Venezuela expelled US naval commander, John Correa, in January 2006. The Venezuelan government claimed Correa, an attaché at the US embassy, had been collecting information from low-ranking Venezuelan military officers. Chávez claimed he had infiltrated the US embassy and found evidence of Correa's spying. The US declared these claims "baseless" and responded by expelling Jeny Figueredo, the chief aid to the Venezuelan ambassador, to the US. Chávez promoted Figueredo to Deputy Foreign Minister to Europe.[35]
Chávez repeatedly alleged that the US had a plan, entitled Plan Balboa, to invade Venezuela. In an interview with Ted Koppel, Chávez stated "I have evidence that there are plans to invade Venezuela. Furthermore, we have documentation: how many bombers to overfly Venezuela on the day of the invasion, how many trans-Atlantic carriers, how many aircraft carriers..."[36] Neither President Chávez nor officials of his administration ever presented such evidence. The US denied the allegations, saying that Plan Balboa was amilitary simulation carried out by Spain.[37]
On 20 February 2005, Chávez reported that the U.S. had plans to have him assassinated; he stated that any such attempt would result in an immediate cessation of U.S.-bound Venezuelan petroleum shipments.[38]
Chávez's socialist ideology and the tensions between the Venezuelan and the United States governments had little impact on economic relations between the two countries. On 15 September 2005, President Bush designated Venezuela as a country that has "failed demonstrably during the previous 12 months to adhere to their obligations under international counternarcotics agreements." However, at the same time, the President waived the economic sanctions that would normally accompany such a designation, because they would have curtailed his government's assistance for democracy programs in Venezuela.[39] In 2006, the United States remained Venezuela's most important trading partner for both oil exports and general imports – bilateral trade expanded 36% during that year[40] As of 2007, the U.S. imported more than $40 billion in oil from Venezuela and the trade between the countries topped $50 billion despite the tumultuous relationship between the two.[41]
With rising oil prices and Venezuela's oil exports accounting for the bulk of trade, bilateral trade between the US and Venezuela surged, with US companies and the Venezuelan government benefiting.[42] Nonetheless, since May 2006, the Department of State, pursuant to Section 40A of theArms Export Control Act, has prohibited the sale of defense articles and services to Venezuela because of lack of cooperation on anti-terrorism efforts.[43]
Following the election ofHugo Chávez in 1999, relations between Venezuela and the United States deteriorated markedly, and continued to worsen after the election ofGeorge W. Bush, as Chávez became highly critical of theU.S. economic andforeign policy. Moreover, he criticized U.S. policy with regards toIraq,Haiti,Kosovo theFree Trade Area of the Americas, and other areas. Chávez also denounced the U.S.-backed ouster ofHaitian PresidentJean-Bertrand Aristide in February 2004.[citation needed] In a speech at theUnited Nations General Assembly, Chávez said that Bush promoted "a false democracy of the elite" and a "democracy of bombs."[44]
Chávez's public friendship and significant trade relationship withCuba andFidel Castro undermined the U.S. policy of isolating Cuba;[45] moreover, on Chávez's initiative, long-running ties between theU.S. andVenezuelan militaries were also greatly diminished.[46]
Chávez's stance as anOPEC price hawk has also raised the price ofpetroleum for American consumers, as Venezuela pushed OPEC producers towards lower production ceilings, with the resultant price settling around$25 abarrel prior to 2004.
The Bush administration consistently opposed Chávez's policies. Although it did not immediately recognize the Carmona government upon its installation during the 2002 attempted coup, it speedily acknowledged the new government and seemed to hope it would last.[47]
When a Marxist insurgency picked up speed in Colombia in the early 2000s, Chávez chose not to support the U.S. in its backing of the Colombian government. Instead, Chávez declared Venezuela to be neutral in the dispute, yet another action that irritated American officials and tensed up relations between the two nations. The border between Venezuela and Colombia was one of the most dangerous borders in Latin America at the time, because of Colombia's war spilling over to Venezuela.[48]
Chávez dared the U.S. on 14 March 2008 to put Venezuela on a list of countries accused of supportingterrorism, calling it one more attempt to undermine him for political reasons.[49]
During the2008 U.S. election, Chávez declared that he had no preference betweenBarack Obama andJohn McCain stating "the two candidates for the US presidency attack us equally, they attack us defending the interests of the empire".[50] However, at a rally the evening before the 4 November elections where Chávez was supporting his own candidates Chávez echoed a sentiment by Lula of Brazil and Morales of Bolivia, referencing the change happening in Latin America seemed to be taking place in the US. He expressed hope that he would meet with Obama as soon as possible.[51] However, on 22 March 2009, Chávez called Obama "ignorant" and claimed Obama "has the same stench as Bush", after the US accused Venezuela of supporting the insurgentRevolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).[52] Chávez was offended after Obama said that he had "been a force that has interrupted progress in the region", resulting in his decision to put Venezuela's new ambassador to the United States on hold.[53]
In January 2009, Chávez announced an investigation into the US Chargé d'Affairs, John Caulfield, who was the leading US diplomat after Duddy's expulsion. Chávez contended that Caulfield had possibly met with opposition Venezuelans in exile inPuerto Rico; an official spokeswoman from the United States said Caulfield was there for a wedding. Chávez used the occasion to accuse "the empire" of using Puerto Rico as a base for actions against him and Latin America. He referred to Puerto Rico as a "gringo colony" and stated that one day the island would be liberated.[54]
During theSummit of the Americas on 17 April 2009, Chávez met with Obama for the first, and only, time where he expressed his wish to become Obama's friend.[55][56] On 20 December 2011, Chávez called Obama "A clown, an embarrassment, and a shame to Black People" after Obama criticized Venezuela's ties with Iran and Cuba.[57]
Shortly before the2012 US presidential elections, Chávez announced that if he could vote in the election, he would vote for Obama.[58] In 2013, before Chávez died, Venezuelan Vice PresidentNicolás Maduro expelled two U.S. military attaches from the country, saying they were plotting against Venezuela by attempting to recruit Venezuelan military personnel to destabilize Venezuela and suggested they caused Chávez's cancer.[59] The Obama administration rejected the allegations and responded by expelling two Venezuelan diplomats.[unreliable source?][60]
In May 2011, Venezuela was one of the few countries to condemn thekilling of Osama Bin Laden. Vice PresidentElias Jaua said: "It surprises me to no end how natural crime and murder [have] become, how [they are] celebrated". He elaborated, stating that now the deaths, both of people working outside the law and of families of presidents (an apparent reference toSaif al-Arab Gaddafi, a target of the2011 Libyan civil war who had been killed the day prior to bin Laden's death) "are openly celebrated by the leaders of the nations that bomb them".[61]
Chávez's anti-U.S. rhetoric sometimes touched the personal: in response to the ouster ofHaitian PresidentJean-Bertrand Aristide in February 2004, Chávez called U.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bush apendejo ("jerk" or "dumbass"); in a later speech, he made similar remarks regardingCondoleezza Rice. PresidentBarack Obama called Chávez "a force that has interrupted progress in the region".[62] In a2006 speech at the UN he referred to Bush as "theDevil" while speaking at the samepodium the US president had used the previous day claiming that "it still smells of sulphur".[63] He later commented thatBarack Obama "shared the same stench".[64]
During his weekly addressAló Presidente of 18 March 2006, Chávez responded to aWhite House report which characterized him as a "demagogue who uses Venezuela's oil wealth to destabilize democracy in the region". During the address Chávez rhetorically calledGeorge W. Bush "adonkey." He repeated it several times adding"eres un cobarde ... eres un asesino, un genocida ... eres un borracho" (you are acoward ... you are an assassin, amass-murderer ... you are a drunk).[65] Chávez said Bush was "a sick man" and "analcoholic".[66]
In 2000, Venezuela stepped in to bolster the Cuban crisis arising from the fall of the Soviet Union. Venezuela agreed to provide Cuba with a third of its oil needs,[67] at a 40% discount supplemented by a subsidized loan, the value of which was estimated at $1.5-billion per year. In return, Cuba was to deliver doctors to work in Venezuela. The Venezuela assistance to the Cuban economy was estimated at between $10 billion to $13 billion annually between 2010 and 2013.[68]
Chávez consolidateddiplomatic relations with Iran, including defending its right to civiliannuclear power.[69] Venezuela severeddiplomatic relations with Israel in January 2009, "given the inhumane persecution of the Palestinian people," said theForeign Ministry of Venezuela. Venezuela also planned to denounce Israel's military actions at theInternational Criminal Court, saying they "will not rest until it sees them punished," and accusing the Israeli government of 'acting as an arm of Washington'.[70]
At the 2005 meeting of theOrganization of American States, a United States resolution to add a mechanism to monitor the nature of democracies was widely seen as a move to isolateVenezuela. The failure of the resolution was seen as politically significant, expressing Latin American support for Chávez.[71]
AfterHurricane Katrina battered the United States'Gulf coast in late 2005, the Chávez administration offered aid to the region.[72] Chávez offeredtons offood,water, and a million barrels of extra petroleum to the U.S. He has also proposed to sell, at a significant discount, as many as 66,000 barrels (10,500 m3) offuel oil to poor communities that were hit by the hurricane and offeredmobile hospital units,medical specialists, andelectrical generators. According to activistJesse Jackson,[73] the Bush administration declined the Venezuelan offer. However, United States Ambassador to Venezuela,William Brownfield welcomed the offer of fuel assistance to the region, calling it "a generous offer" and saying "when we are talking about one-to-five million dollars, that is real money. I want to recognize that and say, 'thank you.'"[74]
In November 2005, following negotiations by leading US politicians for the US' largest fuel distributors to offer discounts to the less well-off, officials inMassachusetts signed an agreement with Venezuela. The agreement aims to provide heating oil at a 40% discount to low-income families throughCitgo, a subsidiary ofPDVSA and the only company to respond to the politicians' request.[75] Chávez stated that such gestures comprise "a strong oil card to play on thegeopolitical stage" and that "it is a card that we are going to play with toughness against the toughest country in the world, the United States."[76]
In the wake of Chavez's death, Maduro blamedRoger Noriega andOtto Reich for an attempted assassination plot againstHenrique Capriles who was running against Maduro in upcoming elections.[77] On 1 October 2013, the US ordered three Venezuelan diplomats out of the country in response to the Venezuelan government's decision to expel three US officials from Venezuela.[78] In 2014, 62% of Venezuelans viewed the U.S. positively.[79] On 16 February 2014, PresidentNicolas Maduro ordered another three US consular officials to leave the country, accusing them of conspiring against the government and aiding opposition protests. Maduro described the US statements that claimed to be concerned with rising tensions and protests and warned against Venezuela's possible arrest of the country's opposition leader as "unacceptable" and "insolent." He said, "I don't take orders from anyone in the world."[80] The United States responded by expelling three additional Venezuelan diplomats from the country.[81] On 2 February 2015, theUnited States Department of State imposed visa restrictions on current and former Venezuelan officials that were allegedly linked tohuman rights abuses andpolitical corruption.[82] The visa restrictions also included family members, with the Department of State saying, "We are sending a clear message that human rights abusers, those who profit from public corruption, and their families are not welcome in the United States".[82]
In response to the2014 Venezuelan protests, the US Congress sought to apply economic sanctions to some Venezuelans.[83] In December 2014, the USVenezuela Defense of Human Rights and Civil Society Act of 2014 targeted some individuals.[84] It was extended in 2016 to expire on 31 December 2019.[85]
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On 9 March 2015, the United States President,Barack Obama, issued a presidential order declaring Venezuela a "threat to its national security" and ordered sanctions against seven Venezuelan officials. Venezuelan PresidentNicolás Maduro denounced the sanctions as an attempt to topple his socialist government. Washington said that the sanctions targeted individuals who were involved in the violation of Venezuelans' human rights, saying that "we are deeply concerned by the Venezuelan government's efforts to escalate intimidation of its political opponents".[86]
The sanctions were denounced by other Latin American countries. TheCommunity of Latin American and Caribbean States issued a statement criticizing Washington's "unilateral coercive measures against International Law."[unreliable source?][87] According to academic Helen Yaffe, between 2014 and 2020, United States sanctions against Venezuela are estimated to have caused the deaths of 100,000 people due to the difficulty of importing medicine and health care equipment.[88]
Following the election ofDonald Trump as President of the United States in2016,Citgo, a US-based oil company owned by the Venezuelan government, gifted $500,000 towardDonald Trump's inauguration on 20 January 2017.[89]
On 20 April 2017, the Venezuelan Government seized theGeneral Motors plant in the Venezuelan state ofZulia, causing the plant to close operations.[90]
On 11 August 2017, President Trump said that he is "not going to rule out a military option" to confront the autocratic government of Nicolás Maduro and the deepening crisis in Venezuela.[91] Venezuela's Defense Minister,Vladimir Padrino López, immediately criticized Trump for his statement, calling it "an act of supreme extremism" and "an act of madness." The Venezuelan Communications Minister,Ernesto Villegas, said Trump's words amounted to "an unprecedented threat to national sovereignty".[92] President Maduro's son,Nicolás Maduro Guerra, stated during the 5thConstituent Assembly of Venezuela session that if the United States were to attack Venezuela, "the rifles would arrive in New York, Mr. Trump, we would arrive and take theWhite House."[93] In 2017, Pew found that 47% of the Venezuelan population views the United States favorably and 35% view it unfavorably.[94]
On 23 January 2019, Maduro announced that Venezuela was breaking ties with the United States following President Trump's announcement of recognizingJuan Guaidó, the leader of Venezuela'sNational Assembly, as the interim President of Venezuela.[6] The possibility of U.S. military intervention in Venezuela was proposed by President Trump, but allies and congress members opposed the idea.[95] Maduro said all US diplomats must leave within 72 hours, but Guaidó said that they should stay.[96] Maduro later confirmed the closure of theVenezuelan Embassy and all consulates in the United States.[97] In response Maduro ordered the expulsion of US diplomats, giving them 72 hours to leave Venezuela. The US said it would not close its embassy, and their diplomatic relationship was with Guaidó's government.[98] On 26 January 2019, only hours before the deadline, the Maduro government backtracked on its expulsion order, giving US diplomats another 30 days.[99]
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The last U.S. diplomats in Caracas left Venezuela on 14 March. From the end of 2018 until March, the US revoked 340 visas from Venezuelans diplomats and others connected with Maduro.[101] The United States established a "Venezuela Affairs Unit" section at the U.S. Embassy inBogotá,Colombia to serve as an interim diplomatic office to Venezuela.[102]
When the UN General Assembly voted to add Venezuela to theUN Human Rights Council in October 2019,US Ambassador to the United NationsKelly Craft wrote: "I am personally aggrieved that 105 countries voted in favor of this affront to human life and dignity. It provides ironclad proof that the Human Rights Council is broken, and reinforces why the United States withdrew."[103] Venezuela had been accused of withholding from the Venezuelan peoplehumanitarian aid delivered from other nations, and of manipulating its voters in exchange for food and medical care.[103]
In 2020, the United States stepped up pressure on Maduro. On 26 March theUnited States accused Maduro of narcoterrorism and offered a $15 million reward for information leading to his arrest.[104] In response, Maduro called US PresidentDonald Trump a "racist cowboy".[105] A few days later, Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab summoned opposition leader Juan Guaidó for questioning for an alleged "attemptedcoup d'etat" and "attempted assassination".[106] On 31 March,United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that sanctions did not apply to humanitarian aid during thehealth emergency and that the United States would lift its sanctions if Maduro agreed to organize elections that did not include Maduro in a period of six to twelve months and reiterated U.S. support for Guaidó.[107] Then on 1 April President Trump announced that he was sending anti-drug Navy ships andAWACS planes to the region near Venezuela in one of the largest military build-ups in the region since the1989 invasion of Panama.[108] In May 2020, two Americans, both former U.S. special forces soldiers were among the mercenaries captured during anunsuccessful invasion in Macuto, Venezuela.[109]
Halliburton was forced by US sanctions to cease operations in Venezuela in December 2020.[110]
On the last full day of his presidency, 19 January 2021, Donald Trump protected 145,000 Venezuelan citizens living in the U.S. from deportation for 18 months.[111] PresidentJoe Biden extendedtemporary protected status (TPS) toVenezuelan immigrants in March 2021.[112]
In 2022, the U.S. and Venezuela had a gradualrapprochement.[113] This involved negotiations between the US supported opposition government in exile, and the Maduro government in Mexico city. The negotiations ended with mutual agreement to facilitate the release of about $3 billion of Venezuelan state funds which had been frozen by foreign banks due to the 2019 presidential crisis. Upon release the funds were marked for humanitarian aid to Venezuelans.[113] Rapprochement included Biden's pardon of several convicted Venezuelan narcotraffickers in exchange for Venezuela's release of theCitgo Six.[114]Chevron was granted temporary license by the US to resume and expand its joint venture with the Venezuelan national oil companyPDVSA. According to theNew York Times, the US's goal was "to push Mr. Maduro toward setting free and fair conditions for the 2024 presidential election."[115] In December 2022, the interim government dissolved.[116] Despite the dissolution, the U.S. Government continued to recognize the 2015 National Assembly.[117]
The rapprochement was partially spurred by the2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine which prompted the US to drastically reduce oil imports from Russia.[118][113]
In October 2023, theBiden administration opted to relaxsanctions on Venezuela's oil industry provisionally for six months. The decision followed the2023 Venezuela election agreement signed inBarbados between the Venezuelan government underNicolás Maduro and opposition factions, though pre-existing sanctions targeting the nation's gold industry were to remain in place.[119] The agreement aimed for equitable access to both private and public media for all political candidates in the2024 Venezuelan presidential election, as well as guarantees on freedom of movement and safety.[120] To bolster the credibility of the electoral process, the Venezuelan government extended invitations to international electoral monitoring observers.[121]
US Secretary of StateAntony Blinken further advocated for the release of wrongfully detained US and political prisoners, and in a joint statement between theUS,European Union,United Kingdom andCanada welcomed the agreement, calling it a necessary step toward the "restoration ofdemocracy in Venezuela".[122] Both the US and EU had previously deemed Venezuelan elections "illegitimate" and demanded a "specific timeline and process for the expedited reinstatement of all candidates".[123]
In November 2023, following the easing of sanctions by the Biden administration, the Venezuelan government announced the resumption of talks with six multinational corporations aimed at restoring the nation's oil production.[124] However, in early December 2023, White HouseNational Security Council spokespersonJohn Kirby stated that the US was prepared to "pause" sanction relief unless the Maduro government could demonstrate renewed progress towards the release of political prisoners and US nationals detained in Venezuela.[125]
Relations under Trump's second presidency were marked by shifting migration trends, including waves of reverse migration. On 24 February 2025, dozens of Venezuelan migrants aimed to return home after failed attempts to enter the US under President Trump's policies to restrict asylum and end humanitarian parole programs. Migrants cited high costs, unclear repatriation options, and dangerous conditions as reasons for their return.[126]
On 17 March 2025, the U.S. deported around 200 alleged but unidentified Venezuelan gang members. A federal judge attempted to legally block the deportations which relied on a rarely used executive power from theAlien and Sedition Acts; however, the Department of Justice stated their flights had already departed.[127][128] The detainees were sent to El Salvador'sTerrorism Confinement Center under an agreement with PresidentNayib Bukele. The move sparked criticism from rights groups and Venezuela, which accused the U.S. of criminalizing migration; the Biden administration had avoided mass deportations.[127]
In July 2025, as part of a prisoner exchange with Venezuela, Trump secured the release of Dahud Hanid Ortíz, who was convicted of triple homicide for killing three people at a law firm in Spain in connection with a marital dispute.Marco Rubio stated that Ortíz and nine other convicts were "wrongfully detained".[129][130][131]
On 25 July 2025, theU.S. Department of the Treasury designated the Cartel of the Suns as aSpecially Designated Global Terrorist organization, citing Maduro's alleged leadership role within the cartel.[132] On 7 August 2025,Attorney GeneralPam Bondi announced a $50 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Maduro—an increase from the previous $25 million due to the United States accusal of Maduro aiding drug cartels and street gangs and operating a corrupt and repressive regime.[133]
The United States military began executingairstrikes on vessels in theCaribbean Sea in September 2025, positioned by theadministration of President Donald Trump as a mission to fightmaritime drug trafficking in Latin America to the US. In October, the strikes expanded to include the EasternPacific Ocean. The Trump administration alleged that the vessels were operated by groups it designated asnarcoterrorists, including the Venezuelan criminal organizationTren de Aragua and the Colombianfar-leftguerilla groupNational Liberation Army, but has not publicized any evidence for the allegations.
As part of what was later unveiled asOperation Southern Spear, the US begandeploying Navy warships and personnel to the Caribbean in mid-August. Trump announced on 2 September that theUS Navy had carried out the first airstrike in the Caribbean on a boat from Venezuela, killing all eleven people on the vessel; he released a video of the incident, which Venezuelan sources said had occurred on 1 September. The US indicated that military operations against drug cartels in Latin America would continue, and as of 23 January 2026, at least 117 people had been killed in at least 36 strikes on 37 vessels and the US had made itsfirst strike on a land target within Venezuela.
The strikes came amid tensions between the United States and Venezuela as Trump steadily increased pressure. Venezuela'sNicolás Maduro repeatedly accused the US of seekingregime change which some third-party sources agree with. Experts, human rights groups and international bodies have said the killings are illegal under US andinternational law, and the Colombian and Venezuelan governments have accused the US ofextrajudicial murder. In 2025 theRepublican-controlledUS Senate twice rejected resolutions that would limit Trump's authority to continue military action against Venezuela or airstrikes against alleged drug vessels. On 3 January 2026,Maduro was captured and flown out of the country by US forces.
In January 2025, the United States Treasury Department imposed sanctions on eight Venezuelan economic and security officials for their role in the "suppression and subversion of democracy" led byNicolas Maduro. Concurrently, the reward for the capture of Maduro and his ministers was increased to $25 million, and visa restrictions were implemented for his supporters.[134][135]
In August 2025, Venezuelan Minister of LaborEduardo Piñate warned of "imperialist threats" against the country, stating that "if imperialism attacks us, the working class will stand in defense of the nation". His remarks reflected the government's broader narrative portraying external hostility—particularly from the United States—as a persistent challenge to Venezuela's sovereignty.[136][137] In September, Venezuela's Attorney GeneralTarek William Saab called on the United Nations to investigate the strikes, describing them as "crimes against humanity", as UN officials and international law experts stated the attacks were a violation of US and international law and amount to extrajudicial executions.[138][139][140]
Maduro mobilized a militia and a military deployment within Venezuelan territory as a defense against a possible attack,[141] and called the US actions a threat to his country's sovereignty, stating that, in the event of any attack, "the republic will declare war".[142] He responded firmly to military threats, declaring that no threat—even one involving a thousand missiles—would compel Venezuela to back down.[143][144]
In October, Trump authorized CIA covert operation in Venezuela for allegedIllegal immigration andnarcotraffic.[145]
In November 2025, Donald Trump said the likelihood of a US war with Venezuela was low, but that the days of Maduro's presidency were numbered; asked whether the US was planning a ground attack, Trump did not rule out the possibility;[146] he said on 16 November that although theForeign Terrorist Organization designation ofCartel of the Suns would allow it, the decision to conduct land strikes had not been made.[147] Anonymous sources toldThe New York Times a phone call between Trump and Maduro occurred later in November.[148] Unnamed sources told theMiami Herald that Trump had offeredsafe passage for Maduro and his immediate family, but the discussion stalled because Maduro would not agree to leave quickly, wanted "global amnesty for any crimes he and his group had committed", and wanted to retain control over Venezuela's military.[149] Maduro rejected the offer, "demanding a 'global amnesty' for himself and allies" according toThe Guardian, and stated that Venezuela doesn't want "a slave's peace".[150]
In December 2025, the United States imposed sanctions on ten Iranian and Venezuelan individuals and entities for allegedly trading drones with Iran.[151]
In December 2025, U.S. forces seized the oil tankerSkipper in international waters off the coast of Venezuela. The vessel, which was carrying Venezuelan crude, had been subject to long-standing sanctions. According to officials, the tanker was allegedly part of a network transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran, with suspected ties to foreign terrorist organizations.[152]
On 3 January 2026, theUnited States launched amilitary strike inVenezuela and captured incumbent Venezuelan presidentNicolás Maduro and his wife,Cilia Flores.[153][154] The U.S. operation, codenamedOperation Absolute Resolve,[155][156] began around 2 a.m. local time, when explosions were observed.[157] TheU.S. military bombed infrastructure across northern Venezuela tosuppress air defenses as an apprehension force attacked Maduro's compound inCaracas.[158][159] Maduro and Flores were transported to New York City by US forces to facetheir trial there.[160][161]
The US federal government announced that Maduro and Flores had beenindicted onseveral charges related tonarcoterrorism.[162][163] Maduro and Flores pleaded not guilty to the charges inManhattan federal court on 5 January 2026.[164][165] U.S. presidentDonald Trump andhis administration justified the operation as a law-enforcement action, with military support, that the president has "inherent constitutional authority" to undertake.[166]
Venezuelan vice presidentDelcy Rodríguez denounced the capture as akidnapping.[167][168] Venezuelan officials said at least 23[a] Venezuelan security officers were killed during the attack.[169][170] TheCuban government said that 32 members of the Cuban military and intelligence agencies were killed.[174][175] Officials in theUnited Nations (UN), the US, and other countries,[b][176] as well as international law experts said the raid violated theUN Charter and Venezuela's sovereignty.[177][158][178] Other reactions around the world included celebrations by theVenezuelan diaspora and protests against the attack.[179][180]
The Venezuelan government remained in place, with Rodríguez sworn in as acting president on 5 January 2026.[181] Multiple political prisoners (including foreigners) detained in Venezuelawere released,[182] a gesture which, according to Trump, contributed to avoiding a second wave of attacks.[183] On 30 January, Rodríguez announced an amnesty bill for political prisoners covering the period of 1999 to present.[184] As of 12 February, the number of political prisoners released confirmed since 8 January was 431 out of an estimate of over 800 held before January, according to human rights organizations.[185][186]
By February, the U.S. and Venezuela had already restarted diplomatic relations, with theEmbassy of the United States, Caracas being reopened since its closure in 2019.[187]
Trump and his administration made clear thataccess to Venezuelan oil was a core reason for the action.[c] United States announced a 50-million-barrel oil supply deal with the remaining government in Venezuela, with the first $300 million already received on 20 January.[188] On 29 January, a new law was passed by Rodríguez to give private companies control over the production and sale of oil.[189] In parallel, the United States lifted sanctions imposed on Venezuelan oil trade and issued licences for companies to trade Venezuelan oil.[190][191] According to U.S. secretary of energyChris Wright, who visited Venezuela in February, the sale of Venezuelan oil have already reached over $1 billion dollars since Maduro's capture and about $5 billion are expected in the upcoming months.[191]
After the announcement of the release of political prisoners by the Venezuelan government on 8 January, the US and Venezuela began discussions to restart diplomatic relations, including the possibility of reopening of the United States embassy in Caracas which was closed in 2019.[192] US officials visited Caracas and on 10 January, the US State Department published a security alert urging its citizens to leave Venezuela immediately due to the presence ofcolectivos (pro-government paramilitary groups) targeting US citizens.[193]
Donald Trump announced on 14 January that he talked by phone with acting president of Venezuela Delcy Rodríguez on oil, trade and national security. The call was confirmed by Rodríguez, who qualified the phone call as positive.[194] Rodríguez also announced to have sent envoys to meet with United States officials the next day.[195]
On 15 January,Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) directorJohn Ratcliffe met with Delcy Rodríguez in Caracas to discuss cooperation and economic stability. According to a US official "The director made clear Venezuela can no longer provide support to drug traffickers like TDA" (referring to the criminal organizationTren de Aragua).[196]
After a discussion with Delcy Rodríguez on 29 January, Trump announced the re-opening of Venezuelan airspace.[197]
US diplomatLaura Farnsworth Dogu was appointedcharge d'affaires for Venezuela on 22 January,[198] and arrived to Venezuela on 30 January.[199] On 2 February, she met inMiraflores Palace with Delcy and Jorge Rodríguez to establish "the work agenda between the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the United States." After the meeting, the US embassy shared in social media that Dogu met with the Venezuelan administration to "reiterate the three phases that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had outlined for Venezuela: stabilization, economic recovery and reconciliation, and transition."Felix Plasencia was named as diplomatic representative of Venezuela to the United States.[187]
United States Energy SecretaryChris Wright arrived to Caracas on 11 February to make an assessment on Venezuala's oil industry. He met with Delcy Rodríguez in the presidential palace. Days before, Wright said he was expecting to "visit some of the nation's oil fields to see firsthand how President Trump's historic U.S.-Venezuela Energy Deal is unleashing peace and prosperity."[200] According to Venezuelan information minister, they discussed a bilateral energy agenda. The last US Energy Secretary that visited Venezuela before that wasBill Richardson in 2001 under US presidentBill Clinton.[201]
Dogu and Plasencia received a US shipment of 6 metric tons of medicine and medical supplies that arrived to Venezuela on 13 February. Dogu indicated it was the "the first of many donations" that will arrive "in the coming days". Plasencia said that it was a "message of cooperation among two sovereign countries."[202]
Vice President Nicolas Maduro claimed "historical enemies" of Venezuela were behind Chavez's cancer diagnosis. The Venezuelan government also expelled two U.S. diplomats from the country – accusing them of spying.
The State Department rejected the allegations and suggested it did not bode well for the future of U.S.-Venezuela ties.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro - His wife, Cilia Flores
The vice-president said the "Venezuelan people ... are outraged by the illegal and illegitimate kidnapping of the president and the first lady".
... at least 32 Cuban fighters, 23 Venezuelan soldiers and two civilians, according to the BBC, citing local media
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