Exclusive: Venezuelan leaders offered U.S. a path to stay in power without Maduro
Updated October 16, 2025 11:01 AM
A group of senior Venezuelan government officials, led by Vice President Delcy Rodríguez and her brother Jorge, who is president of the National Assembly, have quietly promoted a series of initiatives in recent months aimed at presenting themselves to Washington as a “more acceptable” alternative to Nicolás Maduro’s regime, according to people with direct knowledge of the talks.
The proposals, funneled through intermediaries in Qatar, sought to persuade sectors of the U.S. government that a “Madurismo without Maduro” could enable a peaceful transition in Venezuela—preserving political stability without dismantling the ruling apparatus.
According to the sources, Qatari mediators presented to the U.S. two formal proposals this year, one in April and another in September. Both outlined potential governing mechanisms without Maduro in power. In those scenarios, Delcy Rodríguez would serve as the institutional continuity figure, while retired Gen. Miguel Rodríguez Torres, who is currently in exile and is not related to the Rodriguez siblings, would head a transitional government.
The central argument, the sources said, was that the Rodríguez siblings represent a “more palatable” version of so-called chavismo — the socialist ideology named for deceased leader Hugo Chávez — for Washington, since neither has been indicted on narcotrafficking charges by U.S. courts. However, former regime officials— whose accounts have been used by U.S. prosecutors in cases linked to the so-called Cartel of the Suns—have implicated both siblings in logistical support and money laundering operations.
Sources told the Miami Herald the offers though Qatar were made with Maduro’s approval.
It doesn’t make a lick of sense to conduct a “regime change” operation and then leave the entire regime intact. Now, that could also be due to just sheer incompetence, but interesting that the above article came out in Oct.
Cuba has announced the death of 32 of its citizens during the United States military operation to abduct and detain Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in Caracas. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/5/cuba-says-32-cubans-killed-during-us-raids-on-venezuela
Fitting all the various incongruent puzzle pieces of:
Didn’t seem like the Venezuelan military fought back, even though they’d be on the highest alert status and deployed all around the city since the U.S. has been threatening invasion and regime change for months now. Even a corrupt and incompetent military would have enough basic military tactical sense to garrison troops with MANPADS and crew served machine guns all across the city as a second layer defense to their radar and SAM sites which would they would know the U.S. would blow up.
No one else of importance in the chain of command was captured or killed.
Machado, the one we all thought was going to be installed as the new puppet leader gets completely thrown under the bus, LOL. That’s what you get for calling on the U.S. to invade your country you [redacted].
The weird cheeriness of Maduro in custody, saying “happy New Years” and giving thumbs up and posing with DEA agents.
Also, finally saw a video where troops are fighting back against the U.S. helos, some sort of rocket is launched from the ground toward the air here: https://www.reddit.com/r/CombatFootage/comments/1q48mct/view_of_an_igla_manpads_launched_towards_a_us/
That’s what it should have looked like if the Venezuelan military fought back, except hundreds of rockets and thousands of tracer rounds filling the sky from all angles. The 160th and Delta are the best at what they do, but still, a mission like this flying choppers low over a hostile city just minutes after initial bombing starts, on an enemy who has had months to prepare their defenses. Planners would expect like 50% casualties.
So, here’s what I think happened:
