How secret diplomacy to broker safe exit for Maduro collapsed before US forces moved in

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

International efforts to broker a safe exit for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro collapsed shortly before he was detained by US forces, The Washington Post reported.

According to the report, a critical diplomatic push unfolded on Christmas Eve at the Vatican. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State and a veteran negotiator, summoned Brian Burch, the US ambassador to the Holy See, seeking clarity on Washington’s intentions in Venezuela, according to government documents reviewed by The Washington Post. Parolin asked whether the Donald Trump administration was pursuing a limited crackdown on drug traffickers or aiming for full-scale regime change.

In the days leading up to the meeting, the cardinal had repeatedly attempted to reach Secretary of State Marco Rubio, hoping to avert further instability in Venezuela. During his conversation with Burch, the cardinal suggested that Russia was willing to grant asylum to Maduro.

“What was proposed to (Maduro) was that he would go away, and he would be able to enjoy his money. Part of that ask was that (President Vladimir) Putin would guarantee security,” a person familiar with the Russian proposal told The Washington Post.

Maduro declined the offer. Within a week, US Special Operations forces carried out a raid that resulted in the arrest of Maduro and his wife. They were flown to New York, where Maduro now faces drug trafficking charges.

The Vatican meeting, The Washington Post noted, was among several previously undisclosed attempts involving the United States and a range of intermediaries — including Russia, Qatar, Turkey and the Catholic Church — to secure a safe haven for Maduro ahead of the US operation.

“It is disappointing that parts of a confidential conversation were disclosed that do not accurately reflect the content of the conversation itself, which took place during the Christmas period,” the Vatican press office said in a statement to The Washington Post.

Based on documents and interviews with nearly 20 officials, the Washington Post report details sustained international efforts to persuade Maduro to go into exile and avoid a military intervention. Despite repeated offers, the former bus driver-turned-president consistently rejected them.

“He wasn’t taking the deal. He was just going to sit there and watch people create a crisis,” one source said.

As diplomacy stalled, Washington adjusted its approach, focusing more on Vice President Delcy Rodríguez than opposition leader María Corina Machado. According to The Washington Post, Trump’s thinking was influenced by a classified CIA assessment that concluded Maduro’s inner circle would be better positioned to govern Venezuela after his exit than Machado and her allies.

Rodríguez had earned a reputation as a pragmatic interlocutor, particularly in discussions with foreign oil executives. “She wasn’t anti-American; she’d even lived in Santa Monica. She was the farthest thing from an ideologue,” a source familiar with her told The Washington Post.

Maduro, however, appeared to misjudge Washington’s stance. He believed a phone call with Trump in November 2025 had been positive, despite being clearly warned that his departure was expected. “The president said you can go the easy way or the hard way,” a senior White House official told The Washington Post. Maduro turned down offers of safe passage to Washington, betting instead that he could remain in power until the next election.

Throughout this period, Cardinal Parolin urged restraint and patience in US dealings with Maduro. Russia’s offer to host him reportedly came amid broader negotiations with Washington over Ukraine. Other exit options were also explored, including potential asylum in Turkey and talks conducted through intermediaries such as Brazilian businessman Joesley Batista.

“Nicolás Maduro had multiple opportunities to avoid this,” Rubio said, according to The Washington Post. “He was provided very, very, very generous offers and chose instead to act like a wild man, chose instead to play around.”

Since Maduro’s removal, Rodríguez has moved to consolidate control, although power remains divided. The White House has expressed confidence in her leadership, pointing to her role in freeing political prisoners and reaching an agreement to resume Venezuelan oil exports to the United States.