The CIA director, John Ratcliffe, has arrived in Caracas for talks with Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s acting president, less than two weeks after his agents helped capture Nicolás Maduro. The visit marks a significant shift in US policy, which now appears to prioritise stability over the installation of opposition leader María Corina Machado.
Ms Machado, speaking on Fox News on Friday, vowed she would become Venezuela’s first elected female president. She handed her Nobel Peace Prize medal to Donald Trump earlier this week, in recognition of his role in removing Maduro. ‘I believe I will be elected, when the right time comes, as president of Venezuela,’ she said.
Despite her optimism, analysts say the Trump administration has sidelined her movement. Rather than backing Ms Machado, whose opposition coalition is widely believed to have won the 2024 election, Mr Trump has endorsed Ms Rodríguez, calling her a ‘terrific person’. The US energy secretary, Chris Wright, explained the rationale: ‘We need to work with the people that have the guns today to ultimately move the country to a representative government.’
The CIA reportedly advised that Ms Machado would be unable to prevent a security breakdown, given the military and pro-government paramilitaries remain loyal to Maduro’s allies. Ms Rodríguez’s administration has already begun complying with US demands, including opening Venezuela’s oil reserves to American companies. The first deportation flight carrying 199 Venezuelans arrived in Caracas on Friday.
Eva Golinger, a US lawyer who advised former president Hugo Chávez, said Ms Machado’s gift of the Nobel medal was unlikely to change Mr Trump’s mind. ‘Delcy is giving him everything he wants. He has no reason to disrupt the situation,’ she said. Imdat Oner, a former Turkish diplomat, agreed: ‘Machado’s hands are tied … she will not be part of the game.’
