
Venezuela's cautious opening: amnesty move frees activists while repression remains a risk
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Venezuela’s Amnesty Undermined as Opposition Leader Is Re-seized Hours After Release
Juan Pablo Guanipa, a leading opposition figure, was taken by armed men just hours after being freed, raising questions about the sincerity and security of the government’s recent prisoner releases. Conflicting official and rights-group figures on the scope of releases and the prosecutor’s move to place Guanipa under house arrest highlight legal ambiguity and political calculation ahead of promised mass pardons.

U.S. Signals Readiness to Use Military Pressure on Venezuela While Reopening Diplomatic Channels
Senior U.S. officials will tell lawmakers that military options remain available if Venezuela’s interim leaders do not meet U.S. demands, even as Washington moves to normalize relations by increasing embassy staffing and welcoming recent prisoner releases. Behind the public posture, U.S. planners are also preparing a covert intelligence footprint to vet new leaders, gather actionable reporting, and shape conditions for a broader diplomatic and commercial return.

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.

Venezuelan opposition leader sketches transition plan as prisoner numbers and sanctions debate linger
In a U.S. television interview, María Corina Machado argued that international pressure is producing measurable shifts in Caracas but cautioned the Maduro-aligned apparatus remains entrenched and violent. She framed reform — including conditional, market-oriented oil measures and diaspora return — as contingent on credible, post-transition institutions, urgent prisoner releases and verifiable sequencing, even as Washington moves incrementally to restore an on‑the‑ground presence.
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.

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.

Venezuela Proposes Major Oil Law Overhaul to Lure Capital and Share Operations
Venezuela’s interim government has tabled changes to its hydrocarbons law that would loosen operational rules, allow mixed and private operators, and introduce project-specific fiscal terms to attract outside capital. The measures include a royalties cap and a new hydrocarbons tax while easing currency and commercial restrictions for minority partners, signaling an intent to make large-scale upstream projects bankable again.

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.