Key takeaway: Carrie Filipetti, a former senior State Department official, supports the operation that captured Nicolás Maduro as a counter‑narcotics action but warns the U.S. must not try to govern Venezuela. She urges Washington to back democratic leaders—chiefly Maria Corina Machado and allies—to prevent chaos, calls for concrete international aid to stabilize the country, and notes the operation sends a deterrent message to Russia, China and Iran. Legal and long‑term policy implications will require congressional and international scrutiny.
A Former Trump Official’s Warning: Support Venezuela’s Opposition, Don’t Let the U.S. ‘Run’ the Country
President Donald Trump’s recent strikes in Venezuela, the capture of Nicolás Maduro and the president’s remark that the United States would "run" Venezuela have created uncertainty about Washington’s next steps. To explain the stakes, POLITICO Magazine spoke with Carrie Filipetti, who served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Cuba and Venezuela in the first Trump administration and now leads the center‑right Vandenberg Coalition in Washington.
Filipetti says the operation that removed Maduro can be framed as a counter‑narcotics mission and that she supported the strike. But she strongly cautions against any U.S. effort to govern Venezuela directly. Instead, she urges backing the country’s democratic opposition—especially Maria Corina Machado and allies such as Edmundo González—to stabilize the country and reduce risks for U.S. security and regional order.
On What It Would Mean for the U.S. To “Run” Venezuela
Filipetti said she hopes President Trump meant the United States will support Venezuela’s democratically elected leadership, not administrate the country. While the operation drew strong support among the president’s base for its precision and lack of U.S. casualties, Filipetti warned there would be “very limited support, if any,” for the United States assuming direct leadership of a sovereign nation. She emphasized that Venezuela needs democratic institutions, not patronage.
Maria Corina Machado and the Opposition
Filipetti rejects the president’s apparent conflation of Maria Corina Machado with Delcy Rodríguez. She notes Machado’s broad support: her candidate, Edmundo González, reportedly won nearly 70 percent of the vote under authoritarian conditions, and Machado has been a unifying figure for the opposition even while operating clandestinely since 2024. Filipetti argues the opposition deserves credit for long‑term organizing and says its on‑the‑ground networks may have helped provide intelligence that made the operation possible.
Why the Strikes Were Approved
Filipetti believes the president judged the operation’s probability of success to be very high. The campaign displayed close coordination, operational security and effective performance by U.S. forces—outcomes the president was keen to highlight, particularly the absence of American casualties or aircraft losses. She adds that the operation also sends a clear deterrent signal to foreign adversaries.
Geopolitical Message
According to Filipetti, the action demonstrated that some foreign backers’ military support—particularly Russian equipment used by Venezuela—may be less effective than assumed. The strike also signaled U.S. resolve in the region and could complicate Chinese, Russian and Iranian influence in Latin America. She suggests Iran, in particular, should take note of the operation’s message about U.S. willingness to act.
Legal Questions
Filipetti says several legal rationales could be cited: executive authority for limited strikes, lethal CIA action under Title 50 for on‑the‑ground activities, or the international "responsibility to protect" doctrine when leaders commit crimes against civilians. She stresses that Congress and legal experts will likely scrutinize the chosen justification as more details emerge.
Risks and the Way Forward
Filipetti warns that U.S. attempts to govern Venezuela remotely risk a power vacuum, internal repression by regime loyalists, or broader instability. The safest route, she argues, is to restore authority to Venezuela’s democratically elected leaders and provide tangible international support—financial aid, programmatic assistance and diplomatic backing—to stabilize security and rebuild institutions.
Regional Implications
Filipetti notes that Cuba—long dependent on a patron state—may face strategic vulnerability if Venezuela’s ability to support Havana declines. She says the absence of a clear successor patron raises concerns in Havana about future economic and political backing.
"The only way that we can preserve U.S. security, make sure we don’t get bogged down further, and protect Venezuelan security is if we turn back to the democratically elected leadership there," Filipetti said.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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