US Commander Visits Venezuela for the First Time to Discuss Stability

JAKARTA - The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States Army, General Dan Caine, made his first official visit to Venezuela.

During his visit to Caracas, Caine held bilateral talks with senior Venezuelan interim government officials and US Embassy staff. He also visited the US Marine Corps security unit at the embassy.

According to a statement from the spokesperson for the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Caine stressed the importance of Venezuelan stability, shared security in the Western Hemisphere, and the US military's commitment to ensuring the implementation of President Donald Trump's three-phase plan for Venezuela.

"The United States is committed to a stable, prosperous, democratic, and aligned Venezuela," the statement said.

The visit comes after heightened tensions between the two countries in recent months sparked by the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3 in a military operation announced by Washington.

Following the arrest, Vice President and Minister of Petroleum of Venezuela Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as interim president to lead the government.

A number of policy changes, including revisions to the oil sector rules and the release of several political prisoners, were then carried out.