In a dramatic move signalling a potential rapprochement, the director of the United States Central Intelligence Agency has held a clandestine meeting with Venezuela's acting head of state in the capital, Caracas.
High-Stakes Diplomacy in Caracas
CIA Director John Ratcliffe became the most senior official from the Trump administration to visit Venezuela following the military operation that captured former leader Nicolás Maduro. The meeting with acting President Delcy Rodríguez took place on Thursday and lasted for two hours, according to a US government official speaking anonymously on Friday 16 January 2026.
The official confirmed the talks were initiated at the direct urging of President Donald Trump, aiming to demonstrate Washington's desire for an improved bilateral relationship. This diplomatic outreach occurred on the same day Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to Trump at the White House, despite her own political marginalisation.
Laying the Groundwork for Cooperation
Ratcliffe's visit, first reported by The New York Times and involving a small team of American officials, was designed to establish a foundation for future collaboration between the Trump administration and Venezuela's new leadership. The CIA director discussed prospects for economic collaboration between the two nations and delivered a stern warning.
He emphasised that Venezuela must never again permit American adversaries, including international drug traffickers, to operate within its borders. The CIA itself played a pivotal role in the mission to apprehend Maduro, providing crucial intelligence and previously executing a drone strike on a cartel-controlled dock.
A New Direction for Venezuelan Oil
The high-level meeting underscores Trump's apparent willingness to engage with Rodríguez, who was Maduro's second-in-command until the US operation spirited him away to face drug trafficking charges just two weeks prior. In a related development, Rodríguez used her first state of the union address as acting president on Thursday to advocate for a significant policy shift.
She called for opening Venezuela's crucial state-run oil industry to greater foreign investment. This move follows the Trump administration's prior pledge to seize control of Venezuelan crude sales, indicating a complex and evolving economic dialogue between the two countries.
