High-level backchannel negotiations between Venezuela’s interim leadership and officials from the United States reportedly took place in the months leading up to the removal of Nicolás Maduro, with assurances centred on post-Maduro cooperation, stability, and continuity of governance. According to a report by The Guardian, these discussions involved senior Venezuelan figures and were conducted discreetly through intermediaries, well before the dramatic US-led operation that resulted in Maduro’s capture in Caracas on January 3.
The report said Delcy Rodríguez, who was sworn in as acting president just two days after Maduro’s detention, and her brother Jorge Rodríguez, conveyed to US and Qatari officials that they were prepared to work with the administration of Donald Trump. While signalling that they would welcome Maduro’s exit from power, they stopped short of offering direct assistance in removing him.
Sources cited in the report stressed that the Rodríguez siblings carefully drew a line between cooperation and conspiracy. Although they indicated a willingness to help stabilise the country once Maduro was gone, they did not agree to actively participate in any effort to topple him. Their position, according to those familiar with the talks, was framed around managing the aftermath rather than engineering the outcome.
The discussions reportedly began in earnest in the autumn, following a phone call in late November in which Trump demanded that Maduro step aside. Maduro rejected those demands outright. However, by December, an American official involved in the exchanges said Delcy Rodríguez’s tone had shifted, with messages suggesting that she believed “Maduro needs to go.” Another person familiar with the communications said she made clear that she was prepared to work with whatever political and institutional reality emerged after his removal.
Within the US administration, there was initially hesitation about engaging with senior figures from within the Maduro-era power structure. Marco Rubio, who also served as national security adviser, was reportedly sceptical about trusting regime insiders. Over time, however, he came to view Delcy Rodríguez’s assurances as the most viable option for preventing widespread instability or institutional collapse following Maduro’s ouster.
Hours after the operation that led to Maduro’s detention, Trump told the New York Post that US officials had spoken to Delcy Rodríguez multiple times and that she “understands” the situation, a remark interpreted as confirmation of prior communication. The Venezuelan government later dismissed reports of such cooperation as “fake” in a post on X, though it did not provide further clarification or evidence to counter the claims.
Alongside these secret assurances, there were also official and unofficial communications between US officials and representatives of the Maduro-led government. Earlier reporting, cited by the Miami Herald, said that in October Delcy Rodríguez had proposed, through Qatar, to head a transitional government if Maduro stepped down. That proposal, however, was not accepted.
Subsequently, Reuters reported that Diosdado Cabello, another powerful figure within the Venezuelan establishment, had also held discussions with US officials months before the operation that removed Maduro. Delcy Rodríguez’s close ties with Qatari officials reportedly played a key role in facilitating several of these discreet negotiations, with Qatar using its influence in Washington to support dialogue.
A central concern for the United States, according to sources quoted in the report, was avoiding a complete collapse of the Venezuelan state after Maduro’s removal. One official said the overriding priority was to prevent Venezuela from sliding into chaos or becoming a failed state, which could have regional and global repercussions.
Delcy Rodríguez’s perceived pragmatism, particularly her openness to working with US oil companies, was cited as an important factor in gaining acceptance among some American officials. One ally was quoted as saying that she was seen as the most committed among senior Venezuelan figures to engaging with US energy interests, a stance viewed as crucial for economic stabilisation.
Despite these assurances, sources repeatedly emphasised that the Rodríguez siblings did not actively plot against Maduro. One official familiar with the situation said Delcy Rodríguez feared him, highlighting the personal and political risks involved in any internal dissent within the Venezuelan leadership.
When US military helicopters arrived in Caracas in early January, Delcy Rodríguez was reportedly not in the capital. While rumours circulated that she had fled to Moscow, sources cited by The Guardian said she was instead on Margarita Island, a popular Venezuelan holiday destination.
Following Maduro’s capture, Trump declared that the United States would oversee the country until a “safe, proper and judicious transition” could be achieved, adding that the operation should serve as a warning to anyone threatening American sovereignty or lives. Meanwhile, Jorge Rodríguez was reappointed as president of the National Assembly, where he pledged to use all available political and legal avenues to bring Maduro back, underscoring the continued uncertainty and complexity of Venezuela’s post-Maduro political landscape.
