CIA Director John Ratcliffe Meets Interim Venezuelan Leader in Caracas

John Ratcliffe, the director of the C.I.A., met with Delcy Rodríguez, the interim president of Venezuela, in Caracas on Thursday, reinforcing the Trump administration’s message that it sees the interim government as the best path to short-term stability. Mr. Ratcliffe is the most senior American official and the first cabinet member to visit Venezuela since the U.S.

military seized President Nicolás Maduro in a raid nearly two weeks ago. The meeting came a day after President Trump spoke to Ms. Rodríguez on the phone and on the same day he met with María Corina Machado, the leader of Venezuela’s opposition and a Nobel laureate. The high-profile visit could be seen as a snub to the opposition, whose supporters have been frustrated that the Trump administration has not tried to install Edmundo González, whom international election experts say won the 2024 election after Ms.

Machado was barred from running. Mr. Maduro refused to give up power. A U.S. official said Mr. Ratcliffe met with Ms. Rodríguez at Mr. Trump’s direction “to deliver the message that the United States looks forward to an improved working relationship.” The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the two discussed intelligence cooperation, economic stability and the need to ensure the country was no longer a “safe haven for America’s adversaries, especially narco-traffickers.” The meeting follows months of U.S.

planning about how to maintain stability in Venezuela. C.I.A.

Key Topics

Politics, John Ratcliffe, Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, María Corina Machado