For years, the idea of a high-ranking United States official visiting Venezuela was not something that was ever going to happen. Heck, six weeks ago, it was not something that was ever going to happen. But last week, Energy Secretary Chris Wright touched down in Caracas and met with Donald Trump's pawn, "acting president" Delcy Rodríguez, and even joined her on a site tour related to the country's energy sector.
On Wednesday, another high-ranking U.S. official came in for a visit: SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan. He was joined by Joseph M. Humire, the current assistant secretary of war for homeland defense and Americas security affairs. Donovan was just confirmed as the new head of SOUTHCOM a couple of weeks ago.
The two men met with our woman on the ground there, Ambassador Laura Dogu, and, according to a press readout, they also met with "Venezuelan interim authorities."
During the meeting, the leaders reiterated the United States’ commitment to a free, safe and prosperous Venezuela for the Venezuelan people, the United States, and the Western Hemisphere.
Discussions focused on the security environment, steps to ensure the implementation of President Donald Trump’s three-phase plan – particularly the stabilization of Venezuela – and the importance of shared security across the Western Hemisphere.
#SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan concluded a visit to Venezuela today, joining Amb. Laura F. Dogu and @jmhumire for productive meetings with Venezuelan interim authorities. The U.S. is committed to a free, safe and prosperous Venezuela for the Venezuelan people, the… pic.twitter.com/Gkd6vjT3VW
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) February 18, 2026
It's hard to put into words just how historic this is, but it's yet another win for the Trump administration. I just Googled it to see if the MSM is reporting on it — so far, it looks like just a few outlets, like the Jerusalem Post and Reuters, are the only others mentioning it. That could change tomorrow, but the media does not like to celebrate these wins. I will.
Here are some other things you might not find in the MSM.
I've seen many headlines that Venezuelans are somewhat worried about the country's future, and I'm sure some are, but according to a poll from Gold Glove Consulting, 72% felt that the country is "moving in the right direction following [Nicolás] Maduro's January 3 capture."
When it comes to hypothetical elections that will hopefully be held at some point in the not too distant future, Nobel Peace Prize winner and opposition leader María Corina Machado wins by a landslide with at least 67% of the vote. Only 25% of people said they wanted to Delcy to stay in place. I'm shocked it's even that high, but I do hear from many people that there are some, mostly older, holdouts in the country who still support the regime. Thankfully, the young people seem to be heading in the opposite direction.
All of that said, 58% are concerned about security.
There are still some bad actors within the regime, and they keep testing Delcy, Marco Rubio, and Trump. As I wrote earlier this week, 86-year-old Evanan Romero, a U.S. citizen who is helping the Trump administration court oil investors, was arrested last Friday. He was held for about four days and released on Tuesday afternoon. Apparently, the reason was a charge that dated back to a 2010 case, but since Romero comes and goes from Venezuela often, many exiles have said the reasons were political or an attempt to disrupt the forward movement of the energy sector.
As I said on Tuesday, "I suspect he's correct, and it is related to some old case, or other factions of the regime, like Diosdado Cabello, are attempting to assert their authority a little bit — authority they don't seem to realize that they no longer have." The fact that he was released quickly may prove that they were reminded they no longer have that authority and are not exempt from another Delta Force visit.
Speaking of political prisoners, there have been no major updates this week on releases. The human rights group Foro Penal said as of Wednesday night that only 448 releases have been confirmed. That said, there is some talk that the proposed amnesty bill that was introduced late last month will go up for a second round of discussions in the Chavismo National Assembly on Thursday afternoon. I'll keep an eye on that.
Speaking of chatter, several people in various exile communities have reported that MAGA Delcy is currently in the process of removing portraits of Maduro and Hugo Chávez from Miraflores Palace. I can't confirm this, but it's made for some good jokes and memes.
If you'll remember, last week, during an interview with NBC, she asserted that Maduro is still the rightful president of Venezuela, and the MSM ran with this as if it meant something. When questioned about it earlier this week, Trump said, "I think she probably has to say that. I think politically maybe she has to say that, but the relationship with Venezuela… well, she's doing a really good job, and I fully understand."
I can't say this enough — the woman is walking a fine line between doing exactly what Trump tells her to do and trying to keep the other Chavistas happy. We're not out of the woods yet, but we're making progress.
Reporter: On Venezuela, Rodriguez last week said that Nicolas Maduro is still a legitimate president and is innocent
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 17, 2026
Trump: She probably has to say that. I think politically she has to say that. She’s doing a very good job. pic.twitter.com/udcrU5USPe
Last but not least, speaking of opposition leader Machado, she appeared on Jesse Watters Primetime on Fox News on Wednesday night, and said she is quite anxious to get back to Venezuela and help with the transition. Of course, it's not safe for her to do so yet, but she did say something interesting: There are over a million Venezuelans living in exile in the U.S. She estimated that 70% will voluntarily return home once a democracy is in place. That's a big number, but I can say that I've personally met and talked to many over the last year who are ready to return home and make their country great again and see their families and friends. With any luck, they'll get to do that soon.
Machado: I’m planning to go back to Venezuela as soon as possible. I am here coordinating with the Trump administration and many other actors in United States
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 19, 2026
There's over 1 million Venezuelans in the US—almost 70% of them want to go back and as soon as you have a transition to… pic.twitter.com/DPpiL1GVF6
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