John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, said the decision to raise the bounty on Mr. Maduro was part of “a concerted message of solidarity with the Venezuelan people,” meant “to further elevate international efforts to maintain pressure on Mr. Maduro and his representatives.”
Such rewards are widely considered more symbolic than a serious effort to effect an arrest. The $25 million bounty is an increase from a $15 million reward set by the Trump administration in 2020.
But that measure did nothing to sway Mr. Maduro from taking a third six-year term. And some critics have even argued that this reward strategy has further entrenched Mr. Maduro by making it harder for him to leave power.
If he leaves the presidency, he would be extremely vulnerable to arrest.
The extension of temporary protected status for Venezuelan migrants was described by a representative of the Biden administration as an effort to support the Venezuelan people.
The program was signed into law by George H.W. Bush to help people who could not return to their countries because of natural disaster or armed conflict. President-elect Donald J. Trump, who will be sworn in on Jan. 20, has vowed to end the program.
