US Exerts Pressure on Venezuela's Cabello and Padrino to Secure Transition and Stability

The Trump administration has sent a clear message to Venezuela's Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino: cooperate with the US or face serious consequences. Cabello, who controls the country's security forces accused of widespread human rights abuses, and Padrino, who has a multimillion-dollar bounty on his head, are at the top of the US target list. According to sources, President Trump has decided to rely on Maduro's loyalists, including Cabello and Padrino, as temporary rulers to maintain stability during the transition period. However, the US is seeking to force their cooperation and eventual removal from power. Cabello's defiance could lead to chaos, with pro-government motorcycle groups taking to the streets and potentially unleashing violence. On the other hand, Padrino's collaboration is seen as crucial for avoiding a power vacuum, as he commands the armed forces and is considered less dogmatic than Cabello. The US is also working with Interim President Delcy Rodriguez, who is seen as a linchpin in the transition process. However, the administration has doubts about the opposition's ability to maintain peace, and instead has decided to rely on Maduro's allies to run the country on an interim basis. The US demands from Venezuela's leaders include opening up the oil industry to US companies, cracking down on narcotics trade, expelling Cuban security personnel, and ending cooperation with Iran. The US wants to see progress within weeks and is prepared to use leverage, including seizing Rodriguez's finances, if necessary. The Trump administration's strategy is still a work in progress, and critics have condemned the US intervention as neocolonialism and a violation of international law. The fate of Cabello and Padrino remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: the US will continue to exert pressure to secure a stable transition in Venezuela.