Under shadow of regime change wars, Trump admin to pursue more cautious transition in Venezuela

Intent on learning important lessons from America's long and costly regime change efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Trump administration is planning a slower, more methodical change in Venezuela, one that will not require U.S. troops or money.

The Trump administration's seeming ebrace of Interim President Delcy Rodriguez — a close associate of former dictator Nicolás Maduro — in lieu of U.S.-aligned opposition leaders has elicited criticism from Democrats in Congress. In their eyes, dealing with Rodriguez and Maduro's other associates is dangerous and opens the door for official corruption in Venezuela to continue, at the expense of American interests and dollars.