Summary:
US sets conditions for Venezuela’s interim leadership
Demands include drug crackdown and foreign expulsions
Oil sales to US adversaries targeted
Free elections expected eventually, but no timeline
Deadlines described as flexible
The Trump administration is pressing Venezuela’s interim leadership to adopt a series of pro-US policy shifts, signalling that cooperation with Washington will be a prerequisite for political survival.
Politico with the info.
According to officials familiar with the discussions, US authorities have communicated a clear set of expectations to Delcy Rodríguez, warning that failure to comply could invite consequences similar to those faced by her predecessor.
US officials are said to be seeking at least three immediate actions. First, Washington wants Caracas to intensify efforts to curb drug trafficking flows linked to Venezuela, an issue that has long featured in US sanctions and security policy toward the country. Second, the administration is demanding the removal of Iranian, Cuban and other foreign operatives associated with governments or networks viewed as hostile to US interests. These actors are seen by Washington as entrenching anti-US influence in the region and undermining broader hemispheric security.
A third requirement focuses on energy exports. US officials want Venezuela to halt oil sales to countries considered adversaries of Washington, a move that would represent a significant realignment of Caracas’s foreign and economic policy. Energy flows have been central to Venezuela’s geopolitical leverage, and curbing those exports would signal a decisive break from the previous administration’s strategy. I wonder if China is in Trump's classification of adversary?
Beyond these initial steps, US officials expect Rodríguez, formerly Venezuela’s vice president and now serving as interim leader, to eventually facilitate a transition toward free and competitive elections and, in time, relinquish power. However, people familiar with the discussions stress that there is no fixed timetable for elections and that the administration is not signalling an imminent vote.
Deadlines tied to the US demands remain deliberately flexible, reflecting both the fluid political environment in Venezuela and Washington’s desire to retain leverage. Officials emphasise that the current phase is about testing intent and direction rather than enforcing immediate outcomes.
Taken together, the demands underline the Trump administration’s hard-line approach to Venezuela, combining security, energy and political objectives. The message to Caracas is that engagement with the US is possible, but only if it comes with a clear shift away from alliances and policies that Washington views as fundamentally hostile.
