Senior Democratic lawmakers on the House and Senate foreign affairs committees demanded greater clarity from the Trump administration on its strategy toward Venezuela in a letter sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday. Representatives Gregory Meeks and Senator Jeanne Shaheen criticised the absence of a defined agenda or timeline for democratic elections, warning that current US engagement risks entrenching rather than dismantling authoritarian structures.
Lack of progress
The lawmakers noted that four months after the administration began engaging with interim President Delcy Rodríguez following the capture of Nicolás Maduro, many of Venezuela’s political and institutional structures remain unchanged. Hundreds of political prisoners remain behind bars, electoral timelines have not been announced, and key government positions continue to be filled by figures associated with the previous administration. Meeks and Shaheen requested information on the administration’s timeline and benchmarks for democratic transition, progress toward electoral reforms, and efforts to secure the release of political prisoners.