Public frustration is increasing in Venezuela as expectations of economic improvement and political transformation linked to greater United States involvement have failed to materialise, according to a report by El País. While Washington has expanded its role in Venezuela’s economic and security affairs, many citizens say daily conditions remain difficult, with currency depreciation, inflation and economic stagnation continuing to shape public concerns.
The El País report describes growing uncertainty among Venezuelans who had expected faster improvements following increased US involvement. Although oil production has risen due to new exploitation licences issued by Washington, the additional revenue has not resulted in greater state income. The Venezuelan currency continues to lose value, while economic difficulties remain among the most frequent concerns discussed in Caracas.
“Americans do whatever they want and here nobody says anything,” Gregoria Acosta, a resident of Petare, a large working-class area in eastern Caracas, told El País. She said expectations that conditions would improve had not been met and questioned whether US involvement was mainly focused on Venezuela’s oil resources.
The report said relatives of political prisoners, activists, trade union members and teachers have increasingly gathered outside the US embassy in Caracas instead of marching toward government institutions. The groups have called on Washington to intervene on issues including salaries, political prisoners and the country’s electoral timetable.
Roberto Tovar, a plumber from the Chapellín neighbourhood of Caracas, told El País that promises of improvement following increased US involvement had not translated into better living conditions. He said the situation was worsening and that he had considered emigrating again.
Economist Ricardo Hausmann, a Venezuelan academic at Harvard University, commented on the country’s economic situation in a post on X. He said oil production was increasing, but the currency continued to depreciate and inflation was accelerating. According to Hausmann, the amount of money entering Venezuela remained limited.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington’s priority had been stabilisation and avoiding a civil conflict or another large migration movement. Speaking before the US Congress, Rubio said Venezuela had not yet reached the situation the US government wanted but was moving in what he described as the right direction. He added that oil revenues would need to undergo an audit before entering the Venezuelan economy.
The El País report also examined reactions in Caracas to US announcements involving security operations. The announcement by US President Donald Trump regarding the death of Héctor Guerrero, known as El Niño Guerrero, the leader of the Venezuelan criminal organisation Tren de Aragua, was met with disbelief and criticism by some residents. Questions were raised about Washington’s claims of cooperation from the government of Delcy Rodríguez and the presence of US military forces in Venezuelan territory.
Another event discussed in the report was the reported flight of US military aircraft over Caracas on May 23 and their landing near the US embassy. Days later, General Dan Caine, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited Venezuela while Rodríguez was travelling in India.
Some opposition figures have privately described Washington’s role as that of a “tutor”, while critics of the Venezuelan government have used the term “those under supervision” to describe authorities’ relationship with the United States. Some members of the ruling movement have also criticised what they consider excessive dependence on Washington.
According to El País, former officials and figures connected to Venezuela’s United Socialist Party have called for resistance against what they describe as foreign influence. The Simón Bolívar Coordinating Committee, an organisation linked to pro-government civilian groups, issued a statement accusing international actors of pressuring Venezuela and urged supporters to organise.
Meanwhile, discussions between US officials and Venezuelan authorities have focused mainly on energy, mining, investment conditions and security issues rather than democratic reforms or human rights. Venezuelan political analyst Benigno Alarcón wrote that operational agreements involving licences, energy projects, mining and contracts were moving faster than the development of a verifiable democratic framework.
Opposition leaders told El País that they consider US involvement temporary and connected to the restoration of democratic institutions. They said free elections and the return of political sovereignty would eventually allow Washington to withdraw. Delsa Solórzano, leader of Encuentro Ciudadano and a member of the opposition coalition Plataforma Unitaria, said the opposition had adopted a roadmap based on Rubio’s three-phase approach of stabilisation, recovery and transition.
Despite differing views over Washington’s role, economic concerns remain the main priority for many Venezuelans. Pollster Félix Seijas told El País that citizens were primarily seeking improvements in their economic situation, although many continued to believe that major changes could eventually take place.
Historian Elías Pino Iturrieta said Venezuela remained heavily dependent on US interests and argued that immediate political change appeared unlikely. Andrés Caleca of the Movimiento por Venezuela party also warned that issues surrounding national sovereignty remained unresolved.
