CIA director visits Venezuela as María Corina Machado vows she will be president

The CIA director, John Ratcliffe, flew to Venezuela to meet acting president Delcy Rodríguez, the visit coming as sidelined opposition leader María Corina Machado publicly vowed she would become the country’s first elected female president. The Guardian said Ratcliffe’s agents had reputedly played a key role in locating Nicolás Maduro.

Machado’s remarks were broadcast on Friday, a day after she handed her Nobel peace prize medal to Donald Trump, whom the article said she credited for a “principled and decisive move” against Maduro, whom US forces snatched on 3 January. Speaking to Fox News, Machado said: “And I believe I will be elected, when the right time comes, as president of Venezuela – the first woman president of Venezuela.” Experts cited in the story said Trump’s pre-dawn assault on Caracas had marginalised Machado’s opposition movement and that Trump instead gave his blessing to Rodríguez, calling her a “terrific person”.

The piece reported Rodríguez is governing as acting president with support from allies including the interior minister Diosdado Cabello and has signalled willingness to improve ties with the US. A US official told the New York Times Ratcliffe had gone to Caracas “to deliver the message that the United States looks forward to an improved working relationship”.

Observers quoted in the article said Machado has been sidelined and may be unable to return to prominence.

Key Topics

World, John Ratcliffe, Maria Corina Machado, Delcy Rodriguez, Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela