With Venezuela’s situation entering a major turning point, the U.S. government officially appointed seasoned diplomat Laura Dogu, who has served as ambassador twice, as the Chief Special Envoy to Venezuela on Thursday, January 22. This move marks the Trump administration’s accelerated efforts to control and stabilize the country’s situation following the overthrow of the Maduro regime.
According to information released by the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, Laura Dogu will serve as the interim charge d’affaires of the Venezuelan Affairs Unit (VAU). With previous ambassadorial experience in Honduras and Nicaragua, she brings a wealth of experience in handling political turmoil and security affairs in Latin America.
Prior to this appointment, the position was held by John McNamara since last year, with the office located at the U.S. Embassy in neighboring Colombia. However, a State Department spokesperson confirmed that security personnel were dispatched to Caracas on January 9 to assess the “phased resumption of operations” at the embassy. This indicates that since the diplomatic break in 2019, U.S. diplomatic power is poised to officially return to Venezuela.
This diplomatic appointment comes after a significant military achievement by the U.S. Earlier this month on January 3, U.S. forces carried out a successful raid capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and swiftly sending him to New York where he faces drug trafficking charges.
A senior State Department official informed Reuters that Ambassador Dogu’s appointment is a core step in implementing Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s “Three-Phase Plan” promised to the American people. The plan aims to collaborate with the transitional authorities in Venezuela, prevent post-regime change chaos, ensure fair market access for U.S. companies, and ultimately achieve the country’s democratic transition.
During a special speech to world leaders in Davos on Wednesday, January 21, President Trump stated, “We are doing very well with Venezuela, working together to sell oil and make money. Venezuela is going to do very well, and oil profits will be shared.”
He displayed great confidence in Venezuela’s economic prospects, predicting that the country’s income for the next half year will surpass the total of the past 25 years. Trump emphasized that the U.S. will “take a piece of the oil revenue we acquire and pass it along to Venezuela, keeping a share for ourselves,” describing it as a win-win cooperation benefiting both nations.
Under the leadership of a full-time interim charge d’affaires, the U.S. will ensure Venezuela’s reintegration into the international community and market system. With Maduro facing trial and the new envoy taking office, the Trump administration is employing a tripartite strategy of “military pressure, diplomatic reconstruction, and oil development” to ensure Venezuela becomes a new pillar of prosperity and security in the Americas.