To briefly recap, the severe crisis Venezuela is experiencing has affected multiple aspects of national life. Rights denied by those in power, disregard for guarantees enshrined in the Constitution, the absence of separation of powers, and crimes against humanity are just some of the obstacles separating the country from a democratic regime.
This has been Venezuela’s reality for decades, and in recent years the nation has undergone a massive exodus, with nearly nine million Venezuelans having left the country due to the collapse of basic services and the absence of institutions capable of upholding the rule of law.
It is within this context that the use of force carried out by the United States took place, in which Nicolás Maduro—who had been exercising the presidency de facto after undermining the presidential elections held in 2018 and committing an evident fraud in 2024—was “extracted” and taken to a federal prison in Brooklyn, in response to charges brought against him by the U.S. judicial system.
Statements from U.S. officials have referred to the need to implement a three-stage plan for Venezuela: beginning with a phase of stabilization, followed by recovery, and finally a transition to democracy, including the organization of an electoral process conducted in accordance with internationally accepted standards so that it may be considered free and fair. Of these stages, priority has so far been given to economic recovery and to restoring Venezuela as a reliable oil supplier to the United States.
For her part, the vice president currently serving as interim president has repeatedly stated that the country is experiencing a “new political moment,” while also taking some positive steps, such as the release of hundreds of political prisoners who had been arbitrarily detained. However, despite approximately 700 individuals having been released, that figure represents, in broad terms, nearly half of those whose rights have been violated and who remain in detention. Meanwhile, there has been no news of any measures to restore the rights of the large number of political prisoners with military rank, who remain imprisoned under intolerable conditions. This situation reflects a pattern in which the measures meant to demonstrate the so-called “new political moment” share two characteristics: on the one hand, they are implemented at a minimal level, and on the other, they are reversible.
Minimal implementation refers to a situation in which a distant observer perceives that measures have been taken but lacks the proximity needed to grasp the details, thus assuming meaningful progress has been made, when in reality the measures amount to only partial compliance. In other words, measures that appear sound from afar but lose credibility upon closer inspection.
The reversible nature of these measures, as a consequence of the above, relates to the fact that incomplete actions are inherently reversible—half measures that do not allow for the full establishment of respect for rights because they fail to create a new institutional stage in which corrected violations face stronger safeguards to prevent their recurrence.
Examples of such minimally implemented and reversible measures can be found not only in the issue of prisoner releases, but also in the failure to remove or prosecute key officials who have committed serious acts of corruption and violations of fundamental rights, and who, in cases where they have been removed, are quickly reassigned to high-ranking positions.
Moreover, in this “new political moment,” arbitrary detentions continue to occur, and the same opacity prevails with which repressive bodies have intimidated the population for years—this time targeting some officials who have fallen out of favor. The whereabouts of several officials or business figures linked to Maduro are unknown, and the details of the charges against them have not been made public.
The international community must remain vigilant in light of the current Venezuelan situation. Only the effective realization of an electoral process that ensures the legitimate establishment of public powers will allow the country to move from totalitarianism—where all powers are controlled by a single group or individual—to a democratic system grounded in respect for the rule of law.