Overview
- At a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Marco Rubio adopted a more measured tone after advance remarks had warned the United States was ready to use force if cooperation fell short.
- The United States moved to re-establish on-the-ground engagement by naming Laura Dogu as chargé d'affaires to Venezuela, with operations based in Bogotá for now.
- Rubio outlined a plan to allow sales of previously sanctioned Venezuelan oil at market prices with proceeds deposited into a U.S.-supervised account directed to public needs.
- Interim leader Delcy Rodríguez, who remains under U.S. sanctions, has signed oil agreements, advanced hydrocarbons legislation, released political prisoners, and engaged the opposition under U.S. pressure.
- Nicolás Maduro, captured in a January 3 U.S. military operation in Caracas, is detained in the United States on narcotrafficking charges.