The head of the US Southern Command visits Venezuela following the capture of Maduro
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The head of the US Southern Command went to Venezuela to meet with the country’s acting president a few weeks after the US military captured former leader Nicolás Maduro.
Wednesday’s trip, described as a surprise visit, was the first trip to Venezuela by a US military delegation since the Jan. 3 to bring back Maduro, according to to Reuters.
“The Commander of the US Southern Command, Marine General Francis L. Donovan, Charged’Affaires of the Venezuelan Affairs Unit, Ambassador Laura F. Dogu, and the US Acting Secretary of Defense and the United States Joseph M. Humire met with the interim authorities of Venezuela in Caracas,” said the US Southern Command in a statement.
“During the meeting, the leaders reaffirmed the commitment of the United States to a free, safe and prosperous Venezuela for the people of Venezuela, the United States, and the Western Hemisphere,” it added.
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US Marine General Francis L. Donovan, commander of the US Southern Command, talks with US marines assigned to patrol the US Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (US Southern Command/Venezuela Affairs Unit)
“Discussions were focused on security, measures to ensure the implementation of President Donald Trump a three-phase system – particularly the stability of Venezuela – and the importance of shared security throughout the Western Hemisphere,” US Central Command said.
US Embassy in Venezuela added to the post on X that it was a “historic day” in the push to “advance the objective of Venezuela aligned with the United States.”
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US Marine General Francis L. Donovan, commander of the US Southern Command, Chargé d’Affaires to the Venezuela Affairs Unit, Ambassador Laura F. Dogu, and US Acting Secretary of Defense for Homeland Security and the Americas Joseph M. Humire take a photo in Venezuela, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (US Southern Command/Venezuela Affairs Unit)
The Venezuelan government said the US delegation met with interim President Delcy Rodriguez, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, and the two sides agreed to cooperate on drug trafficking, terrorism and migration, Reuters reported. The Associated Press also confirmed that Donovan, who is the head of the US military in Latin America, met with Rodriguez.
Venezuela’s Acting President Delcy Rodriguez raises her hand after bidding farewell to US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright after their meeting at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (Ariana Cubillos/AP)
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“The meeting confirms that diplomacy should be a way to resolve disagreements and to address problems of bilateral and regional interests,” he quoted Venezuela’s Communications Minister Miguel Angel Perez as saying on X.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
