In January of this year, after launching military actions against Venezuela and forcibly taking the president Maduro, the United States is seeking to further expand its military presence in Venezuela.
According to reports from The New York Times on November 3rd, several US officials revealed that the Trump administration is negotiating a military agreement with Venezuela, laying the groundwork for possible long-term stationing of US troops in Venezuela. The negotiations are led by the US Department of State.
The agreement being discussed between the two parties is called the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). Such agreements serve to provide a legal framework for U.S. military activities in foreign countries. Issues such as the specific number of troops stationed and their deployment locations will need to be determined through subsequent agreements.
The US Department of State stated in a statement that the United States has signed Status of Forces Agreements with more than 100 countries. The U.S. maintains military bases with tens of thousands of troops in some of these countries, while only deploying small numbers of advisors or military units in others.
The United States Department of State stated that these agreements "promote defense cooperation by providing a clear and predictable legal framework, allowing the U.S. military to carry out activities jointly agreed upon with security partners, such as ship visits, training, military exercises, and humanitarian assistance."
The Embassy of Venezuela in Washington did not respond to requests for comment.
On January 3 this year, the US military launched a raid on Venezuela and forcibly took Maduro and his wife. Since then, the Venezuelan government led by Delcy Rodríguez, a ally of Maduro, has worked closely with the Trump administration. During a speech in Washington on Monday, Trump even used the phrase “our conquest of Venezuela”.
However, analysis indicates that the U.S. military presence in Venezuela still faces resistance. There are still a considerable number of Venezuelans who support Chávez's anti-American policies, and many people are dissatisfied with the US attempts to control the country's oil resources as part of neo-colonialist practices. The deployment of American troops could further intensify anti-American sentiments.
The negotiations on the US-Venezuela military agreement are taking place at a delicate moment. Washington and Caracas are discussing the timing of elections in Venezuela, as well as who might become the country's next leader.
In late October, officials from the United States Department of State officially informed some members of Congress about the upcoming negotiations with Venezuela.
On November 2, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio met with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Oliver Blanco in Washington. The U.S. State Department stated that the two sides discussed reconciliation negotiations among various political factions in Venezuela, the possibility of holding elections in the future, and the possibility of releasing political prisoners. However, the summary of the meeting issued by the State Department did not mention any negotiations on military agreements.
A U.S. State Department official from the highest level of the U.S. government, stationed in Caracas, Venezuela, stated that the U.S. expects to expand security cooperation with Venezuela, but the official said establishing a military base remains "very distant" and currently no negotiations have been started on this matter.
He also revealed that the U.S. Embassy in Caracas resumed operations after being closed for seven years. Currently, there is one full-time military officer and a few Marine Corps personnel on the embassy staff.
