
U.S. Signals Readiness to Use Military Pressure on Venezuela While Reopening Diplomatic Channels
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US Chargé d’Affaires Laura Dogu Arrives in Caracas as Washington Moves to Rebuild Ties with Venezuela
Laura F. Dogu’s arrival in Caracas is a visible first step in a deliberate, two-track U.S. strategy that pairs increased coercive pressure with a phased diplomatic reengagement. Her presence accompanies plans for a small intelligence foothold, conditional U.S.-managed oil sales that route dollars through U.S. accounts, and a cautious push to restore consular and commercial ties amid legal, security, and political risks.

Trump Signals Openness to China and India Investing in Venezuela’s Oil Sector
Former President Donald Trump publicly indicated he would not oppose Chinese or Indian investments in Venezuela’s petroleum industry, framing such capital as potentially beneficial for output and global energy supplies. His remarks add rhetorical cover for Asian investors but stop short of policy changes — concrete investment will hinge on legal reforms, sanctions relief, and financial mechanisms that are still unresolved.

U.S. Intelligence Moves to Build a Permanent Presence Inside Venezuela
Senior U.S. intelligence planners are preparing to establish a sustained on-the-ground footprint in Venezuela to shape post-Maduro governance and secure strategic interests. The CIA will lead early security and liaison activities while the State Department prepares a phased diplomatic return, though White House objectives and timelines remain unclear.

Venezuela's cautious opening: amnesty move frees activists while repression remains a risk
A fast-tracked amnesty bill and a sequence of releases have allowed activists and opposition figures to reappear publicly, but forcible rearrests, legal strings and sustained media blocks show the opening is conditional and fragile. International pressure — including recent U.S. operations and calibrated diplomatic steps — appears to have prompted concessions, but verification, judicial independence and unblocking of media are needed to turn short-term gains into durable reform.

Rubio Defends U.S. Action in Venezuela as Lawmakers Demand Strategy and Costs
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will face the Senate foreign policy committee to justify a recent U.S. operation that removed Nicolás Maduro and to lay out next steps, amid questions over the mission’s legality, mounting costs and reports of collateral harm from maritime strikes. Lawmakers are also probing plans for a two-track strategy that pairs coercive naval pressure with a gradual diplomatic re‑engagement — including increased embassy staffing and a small covert intelligence footprint to vet partners — and how those moves tie to potential U.S. access to Venezuela’s energy sector.

Administration Studies Iraq’s oil aftermath as It Moves to Control Venezuela’s Reserves
Senior U.S. officials have been explicitly mining lessons from Washington’s post-2003 role in Iraq’s petroleum sector to shape a more interventionist approach to Venezuela’s oil complex. Early actions include routing previously sanctioned barrels through U.S.-managed sales (roughly $500 million in the initial transaction) and using those proceeds under tight conditions for transitional fiscal needs, but legal, political and banking frictions — plus plans for an on-the-ground intelligence presence and draft domestic energy reforms — complicate any quick recovery.
Venezuela Operation Splits Opinion in Houston, Raising Stakes for U.S. Oil and Politics
The U.S. operation that removed Nicolás Maduro has produced a sharp split in Houston between relief among exiles and skepticism from workers and veterans, even as national polls show more disapproval than support. Washington’s follow-up moves—including a reported $500 million sale of formerly sanctioned barrels routed to U.S.-overseen accounts, incremental embassy reengagement and plans for a limited intelligence footprint—have amplified both economic hopes for Venezuelan oil and worries about legal, humanitarian and geopolitical costs.

After U.S. raid on Maduro, Venezuela teeters between fear and a tentative economic reset
A U.S. operation that removed Nicolás Maduro has left Venezuelans balancing dread and guarded optimism as interim authorities open the oil sector and Washington moves to reestablish a limited on‑the‑ground presence. Short‑term liquidity measures — including a reported ~$500 million sale of previously sanctioned barrels routed through U.S.-managed accounts — and congressional changes to hydrocarbons law create openings for investment, but structural constraints and political mistrust make any recovery fragile.