Stability, recovery and transition: US lays out three-phase plan for Venezuela after seizure of Maduro

The United States has outlined a three-step plan for Venezuela following the seizure of President Nicolás Maduro by US forces over the weekend, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday.

Speaking after briefing US senators on the Trump administration’s strategy, Rubio said the first phase would focus on stabilising the country.

“We don’t want it descending into chaos,” Reuters quoted him as saying.

Rubio said the second phase, which he described as “recovery,” would centre on rebuilding Venezuela’s economy and institutions.

“The second phase will be a phase that we call recovery, and that is ensuring that American, Western and other companies have access to the Venezuelan market in a way that’s fair,” he said.

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He added that this stage would also involve national reconciliation efforts.

“Also, at the same time, begin to create the process of reconciliation nationally within Venezuela, so that the opposition forces can be amnestied and released and from prisons or brought back to the country, and begin to rebuild civil society,” Rubio said.

“The third phase, of course, will be one of transition,” he added, without providing further details on the timeline or political framework for the final stage.

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President Maduro captured by US forces

In a late-night operation on January 3, US Delta forces carried out airstrikes in Caracas and captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their residence inside a military compound.

The two were flown to the United States, where Washington has filed drug-related charges against them, including narco-terrorism.

Appearing in a New York court on Monday, the 63-year-old Maduro pleaded not guilty, claiming he was “kidnapped” and declaring himself Venezuela’s legitimate leader and a prisoner of war.

“I am a decent man, the president of my country. I am innocent. I am not guilty of anything that is mentioned here,” he told the court.

Flores also pleaded not guilty, saying she was “completely innocent” of the charges.

Maduro faces four counts, including narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices.

US authorities allege he coordinated cocaine trafficking with groups such as Mexico’s Sinaloa and Zetas cartels, Colombia’s FARC rebels, and Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang, using state resources to facilitate the trade.

Maduro has consistently denied the allegations, calling them a cover for what he describes as US “imperialist designs” on Venezuela’s oil reserves.

The US has long regarded Maduro as an illegitimate leader following his disputed 2018 election victory.

Federal prosecutors first indicted him in 2020 and expanded the case on January 3 to include additional charges and co-defendants, including Flores.

Prosecutors say the alleged criminal activities began during Maduro’s time in the National Assembly in 2000 and continued through his tenure as foreign minister and president after succeeding Hugo Chávez in 2013.

With inputs from agencies