Venezuelan far-right politician Dinorah Figuera alongside then-US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs Mark Wells during a meeting in Washington, DC, in 2023. File photo.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—On Thursday, Venezuelan National Assembly (AN) president and designated head of the national political dialogue commission, Jorge Rodríguez, held a working meeting with Dinorah Figuera, the representative of the US-created opposition deputies group from the 2015–2020 term.
This US-backed group was created alongside Juan Guaidó’s failed “interim government” in 2019, specifically aiming for regime change and the seizure of Venezuelan assets abroad. Before meeting with Jorge Rodríguez, Figuera held a meeting in Caracas with the US chargé d’affaires, John Barrett.
According to a brief statement released by the AN, the meeting took place at the Federal Legislative Palace in Caracas. According to the statement, a joint technical and political committee was appointed with an agenda seeking to “contribute to the strengthening of democracy, the consolidation of peace, and the pursuit of a future of well-being and prosperity for the Venezuelan people.”
Sidelining the far-right
The selection of Figuera to attend the high-level meeting surprised several far-right sectors. These factions claimed it represents a sidelining of María Corina Machado, who was being pushed by the Venezuelan far-right opposition as its primary representative following a recent meeting in Panama.
Despite support from some mid-level Venezuelan far-right politicians, the initiative raised caution and more reserved interpretations among others. Analysts close to those sectors insisted on its “strictly institutional” nature and claimed there is a distinct difference between this meeting and the “Panama Agreement.”
Figuera stated: “My role is institutional. This has absolutely nothing to do with the institutional framework of the Panama Agreement or the Unitary Platform [alliance],” still recognizing María Corina Machado’s leadership role.
So far, neither María Corina Machado nor Henrique Capriles, another notable far-right opposition leader, has made any direct public statements regarding the initiative. Speculation about possible rifts within the opposition bloc is circulating on social media, with some interpreting the meeting as a parallel process orchestrated by Washington, which does not view Machado as a leader respected inside Venezuela.
Analysts claim the White House’s role in the meeting is clear, marking the initiation of the third phase of the US imperialist plan for Venezuela—stabilization, recovery, and transition. This plan was set in motion after the US invasion of Venezuela on January 3, which resulted in the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and the murder of over 100 people, including 32 Cuban and 47 Venezuelan soldiers.
Washington’s transition roadmap
Also on Thursday, the US Department of State issued a press release “welcoming” the meeting and clarifying that it is part of its “transition” plan. It added that the main objective is to “strengthen” the Venezuelan National Electoral Council (CNE).
“The US understands that this agenda includes key priorities such as rebuilding Venezuela’s democratic institutions, strengthening the CNE, reestablishing durable guarantees for political participation, and securing essential civic freedoms for open political discourse,” the imperialist statement reads.
Figuera, the so-called 2015 National Assembly, Juan Guaidó, and the far-right politicians operating within that structure are widely viewed by Venezuelans as responsible for multibillion-dollar losses that devastated the economy and harmed millions of Venezuelans.
In an interview with Unión Radio, the former AN revealed that she had been called to a meeting with the US Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Michael Kozak, several weeks earlier. There, he instructed her to work toward a “stable, orderly, and consolidated democratic transition” in Venezuela.
Figuera explained that the main goal of the meeting with Jorge Rodríguez is to restructure the electoral system. Figuera revealed that the process has a defined timeframe, pointing to December 2026 as “the deadline for delivering the legislative reforms.”
The immediate agenda will focus on bringing together specialists to review electoral laws, audit the vote-counting system, and ensure the presence of reliable international observation missions.
“The roadmap also includes the reinstatement of political party registration cards to their legitimate authorities, guarantees for freedom of expression, the review of Supreme Court justices, and the return of exiles with the restitution of their expropriated property,” she added.
Internal friction and strategic gaps within Chavismo
Some pro-government analysts argue that Washington maintains a coherent, calculated strategy to dismantle the Bolivarian Revolution. Meanwhile, the current Chavista leadership under Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has struggled to counter these pressures effectively. These critics question the government’s readiness to withstand what they view as an impending final imperialist blow.
Strategic missteps and disorientation of the Chavista base
Several key vulnerabilities have been highlighted as potential catalysts for a collapse of the Chavista government:
• Conflicting Narratives: Official communication strategies often disorient the Chavista base by framing major concessions to Washington as political victories.
• Geopolitical Naivety: Critics point to an overly optimistic reliance on the upcoming US midterm elections to shift the balance of power.
• Misplaced Trust: Analysts warn against the assumption that Washington will unconditionally lift economic sanctions, or that far-right opposition factions will peacefully reconcile with the government.
• Defense Readiness: Observers note a concerning lack of long-term strategic and defense preparations.
Ultimately, analysts caution that while these tactical errors severely threaten the current administration’s stability, the fall of the government would not necessarily erase Chavismo as a deep-rooted political movement in Venezuela.
National Assembly statement
The full unofficial translation of the AN statement follows:
Venezuela Denies Rumors of Constitutional Reform Amid Growing Public Skepticism
Legislative Power of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
National Assembly
Today, June 18, 2026, a first working meeting was held at the Federal Legislative Palace of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela between Dr. Dinorah Figuera, in her capacity as representative of the opposition deputies from the period 2015 to 2020, and National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez, designated for political dialogue by Acting President of the Republic Delcy Eloína Rodríguez.
At this meeting, a joint technical and political committee was appointed, with an agenda that includes concrete milestones and timelines that contribute to the strengthening of democracy, the consolidation of peace, and the pursuit of a future of well-being and prosperity for the Venezuelan people.
Caracas, June 18, 2026
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/SF
