By Erin Banco, Jonathan.
NEW YORK, Jan 27 (Reuters) – U.S. intelligence reports have raised doubts that Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodriguez will cooperate with the Trump administration by formally cutting ties with U.S. adversaries, four people familiar with the reports said in recent days.
US officials have publicly said they want the interim president to cut ties with close international allies such as Iran, China and Russia, including expelling diplomats and their advisers from Venezuela.
But Rodriguez, whose swearing-in ceremony was attended by representatives of those countries earlier this month, has yet to publicly announce such a move. She became president after the US captured former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3.
US intelligence reports said it was unclear whether she fully agreed with US strategy in her country, according to the sources, who declined to be identified by name.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Caracas on January 15, where he discussed the country’s political future with Rodriguez. Reuters could not determine whether those conversations changed the minds of intelligence agencies.
Washington wants to check the influence of its enemies in the Western Hemisphere, including Venezuela, where Trump is trying to exploit the OPEC nation’s vast oil reserves.
If Rodriguez were to cut ties with American rivals, it would open up more opportunities for American investment in Venezuela’s energy sector. But failure to rein in Rodriguez could undermine Washington’s efforts to direct the country’s interim rulers from afar and avoid a deeper US military role.
The Central Intelligence Agency and the Venezuelan government did not respond to requests for comment.
Asked for comment, a senior Trump administration official, who declined to be identified, said US President Donald Trump “continues to exert maximum leverage” on Venezuela’s leaders and “expects that cooperation to continue.”
ABANDONING LONG-TIME ALLIES?
The CIA previously assessed that officials loyal to Maduro, including Rodriguez, were best positioned to govern the country after his ouster.
But critics of Trump’s strategy in Venezuela have expressed doubts about the wisdom of keeping Maduro loyalists as the country’s interim leaders. Concerns about Rodriguez’s reliability were present before the US military operation, two sources said.
For Venezuela, the US directive means abandoning its closest allies outside the region. Iran helped Venezuela repair oil refineries, while China took the oil as debt repayment. Russia has supplied weapons, including missiles, to Venezuela’s military.
Trump also cited communist-ruled Cuba as another US enemy he wants Venezuela to abandon. Havana provided security and intelligence support while receiving Venezuelan oil at a discounted rate.
Since Maduro’s ouster, Rodriguez, whose deep ties to the oil sector are crucial to keeping the country stable, has taken steps to stay in Washington’s favor, including freeing political prisoners and authorizing the sale of 30-50 million barrels of oil to the United States.
In a speech on Sunday, Rodriguez said he had had “enough” of US intervention. However, US officials have also held positive calls with her in recent days, according to two of the sources.
The Trump administration sees no immediate alternative to working with Rodriguez given that he has publicly endorsed her so strongly, two of the sources said.
But US officials are developing contacts with senior military and security officials in case they decide to change their approach, said a source with knowledge of Venezuelan politics.
MACHADO CONSIDERED A LONGER-TERM OPTION TO LEAD VENEZUELA
Recent intelligence reports also found that opposition leader Maria Corina Machado is currently unable to lead the country successfully, in part because she does not have strong ties to the country’s security services or the oil sector, the sources said.
Some observers and Machado’s movement say he won the 2024 election that year by a huge margin, although the state supported Maduro’s victory. She remains popular among Venezuelans.
Trump told reporters last week that he wanted Machado to be “involved” in running the country, without elaborating.
A person familiar with the administration’s discussions with Machado said she is highly regarded by the White House and considered a long-term option for a leadership position in Venezuela.
The separate source briefed on Venezuelan politics suggested that for now, Machado might be considered for an advisory role, but no firm decision has been made. Machado’s representatives did not respond to a request for comment.
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