The official Richard Grenell, who traveled to Venezuela at the end of January as the special envoy of United States President Donald Trump for a meeting with Nicolás Maduro, stated that the American leader does not seek changes to the Venezuelan regime.
His statements were made during an interview granted this Saturday for the program American Thought Leaders from The Epoch Times.
In a conversation about the appointment of Kashyap "Kash" Patel as FBI director and the release of six American hostages in Venezuela, Grenell acknowledged that they are "clear" about the Venezuelan government and Maduro, but they will not do anything to change it.
"Miren, estamos muy claros sobre el gobierno venezolano y Maduro, pero Donald Trump is someone who does not want to make changes to the regime. He is someone who wants to do everything we can to make American people stronger, more prosperous. And that is what we are focusing on now," he stated in the interview.
In his speech, he reminisced about his visit to Venezuela and explained how the release of the American prisoners occurred.
According to what was revealed, Nicolás Maduro had "a long list of questions" but only communicated Trump's intentions for Venezuela to provide the planes to transport migrants from that country who would be deported from the U.S.
Grenell warned that they still have matters to address with the Maduro regime: "We are not done with Venezuela. I believe we have more to do." However, he did not specify what those matters were.
The White House denied that Grenell's visit to Venezuela was an official recognition of Maduro as the legitimate leader of that country, but the terms of the agreement remain unclear.
For Trump, it was just another step in his "plan" to "remove record numbers of illegal migrants from all countries."
The meeting in Venezuela took place at a time of international tension due to the reelection of Nicolás Maduro in January 2025, which was not recognized by the United States or several countries in the region.
News agencies had stated, following Trump's inauguration, that his team was outlining a strategy aimed at ending more than two decades of Chavismo in Venezuela.
One of the first measures under consideration would be the revocation of the license allowing the American oil company Chevron to operate in the South American country.
Other sources indicated that the strategy included a negotiated exit for Maduro into exile, possibly in Moscow, similar to the situation of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Political Situation between the U.S. and Venezuela under Trump’s Administration
Is Donald Trump seeking changes in Nicolás Maduro's regime?
No, according to Richard Grenell, Trump is not seeking changes in Maduro's regime. Grenell, Trump's special envoy, stated that the current focus of the U.S. president is to empower American citizens rather than change the Venezuelan regime.
Why did Richard Grenell travel to Venezuela?
Richard Grenell traveled to Venezuela as a special envoy of Donald Trump to discuss issues related to the deportation of migrants and the release of American hostages. His mission included demanding the release of six American citizens held in Venezuela.
What did the U.S. and Venezuela agree on regarding migrants?
Venezuela agreed to receive all deported Venezuelan migrants from the U.S. This agreement includes members of criminal gangs such as the Tren de Aragua, and Venezuela will provide transportation for their repatriation.
What is the U.S. position on Maduro's government following the release of hostages?
The U.S. maintains its stance of not recognizing Nicolás Maduro as the legitimate president of Venezuela. Despite the release of hostages, the U.S. government continues to label the 2024 elections as fraudulent and will not change its position regarding Maduro's regime.
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