US Pushes Venezuela To Stick With Phased Democratic Transition Plan

Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado returns home and appears to question parts of the Trump administration’s approach.

Washington Reaffirms Three Step Roadmap

The United States has asked Venezuela to keep following a gradual plan. This plan focuses on economic recovery and political reconciliation first. Elections should come only after these steps succeed.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Venezuelan Foreign Minister Oliver Blanco on Monday. They discussed the country’s political future and the Venezuela democratic transition plan. This meeting happened almost a year after US forces took former President Nicolas Maduro from Caracas. Maduro now faces drug trafficking charges in America.

Neither official spoke to reporters following their discussion. Instead, the State Department released a written summary afterward. It confirmed that Washington restated President Donald Trump’s three phase approach. The phases are stabilization, economic recovery with political reconciliation, and finally democratic transition.

Machado Returns And Talks Strategy

Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado came back to Venezuela last week. She thanked both Trump and Rubio publicly for their continued backing. Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize and even gave her medal to Trump in 2025.

She explained her return was meant to build a movement. This movement would prepare the country for upcoming elections. Machado described Rubio’s involvement using her own words.

Rubio “has set out a sequence of events aimed at moving toward a democratic transition that makes clear the holding of presidential elections in 2027”, she said.

Balancing Politics With Oil Interests

Machado now juggles two things at once. She is running an election campaign while watching Washington’s oil dealings closely. The Trump administration has been striking agreements with interim leader Delcy Rodriguez. Rodriguez previously served as Maduro’s vice president before taking charge.

Back in September, US officials announced a major oil agreement. This deal would give Washington control over roughly one fifth of Venezuelan oil reserves.

A joint venture was created with North American Blue Energy Partners, known as NABEP. Venezuelan businessman Alejandro Betancourt owns this company. NABEP ranks as the second largest private oil operator in Venezuela, trailing only Chevron.

Oil Deal Raises Questions

Under this arrangement, Caracas handed NABEP rights spanning 100 years. These rights cover seventeen oilfields holding sixty five billion barrels in proven reserves. The Pentagon secured a 35 percent ownership stake in NABEP. America also gained guaranteed access to buy 20 percent of oil output at cost prices, according to the administration.

Rodriguez addressed the nation shortly before Machado’s own remarks surfaced. She promised elections would happen ”with the world as witness”, though she gave no exact date.

Reporters asked Machado whether she might meet with Rodriguez soon. She responded that no message had reached her from either the interim president or Washington.

After arriving back home, Machado voiced doubts about the oil agreement itself. She stated plainly that “this agreement does not reflect the levels of transparency that Venezuelan society wants”.