Rebuilding Venezuela: Progress and Challenges

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Venezuela’s political landscape shifted decisively on January 3, 2026, when American forces captured Nicolás Maduro, ending nearly 13 years of his rule and leaving his vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, as acting president. A veteran of the Chavista establishment, Rodríguez is governing under Washington’s three-phase plan of stabilization, recovery, and transition. Under her interim rule, Venezuela has restored diplomatic relations with the United States, released some political prisoners, opened the oil sector to foreign investment, and signed a package of energy agreements that includes a 100-year concession on 17 oil fields holding roughly 65 billion barrels of reserves. But authorities in…