Overview
- Maduro was captured by U.S. forces in January 2026 and is held in a Brooklyn prison awaiting a U.S. criminal trial scheduled for June 1, 2027.
- From prison on August 2, Maduro published a message endorsing "any path to dialogue" and framing talks as a route to peace and coexistence.
- The Venezuelan government under Delcy Rodríguez and parts of the opposition will begin in-person negotiations next week under U.S. supervision, with María Corina Machado confirming she will not take part.
- Washington now supervises Venezuela's oil export receipts and recently approved state payments to cover legal fees for Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, a combination that gives the U.S. concrete financial and political leverage.
- Beyond the criminal indictments, families of victims have filed civil suits accusing Maduro of ordering killings, a parallel legal layer that raises stakes for accountability and could affect the talks' legitimacy and public trust.