Overview
- The visit took place on Wednesday when General Dan Caine, chair of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, flew to Caracas for surprise bilateral meetings with interim Venezuelan officials and embassy staff.
- Caine visited the U.S. Embassy's Marine Security Unit and thanked deployed marines, underscoring a stepped-up U.S. focus on on-the-ground diplomatic security in Caracas.
- The trip follows other high-profile U.S. military contacts this spring, including multiple visits by SOUTHCOM chief Francis Donovan and a May embassy security drill that used U.S. aircraft.
- Protests by students, unions, and activists in Caracas targeted the embassy visit and demanded release of political detainees and a clear calendar for presidential elections.
- U.S. officials and lawmakers have tied continued support to institutional changes inside Venezuela, with Senator Marco Rubio urging creation of a new, independent National Electoral Council before credible elections can proceed.