CIA skeptical of Venezuelan interim leader’s commitment to Washington’s agenda

US intelligence reports, as detailed by Reuters, are casting doubt on the willingness of Venezuelan interim leader Delcy Rodriguez to cooperate fully with the Donald Trump administration.

Specifically, uncertainty remains over the extent to which Rodriguez will comply with Washington’s demands to sever official ties with US adversaries—a move central to the White House strategy of curbing foreign influence in the Western Hemisphere.

According to these reports, a clean break from anti-American blocs could unlock substantial investment opportunities for US corporations within the Venezuelan energy sector.

Conversely, a failure by Washington to pivot Rodriguez’s geopolitical preferences could undermine efforts to manage the country’s interim leadership remotely, potentially compelling the US toward deeper military involvement.

Speaking to Reuters, a US official noted that President Donald Trump continues to exert “maximum influence” over the Venezuelan leadership and “expects this cooperation to continue.”

CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Caracas on January 15 to discuss the nation’s political trajectory with Rodriguez.

US officials, led by Trump, have explicitly called for Rodriguez to decouple from close allies such as Iran, China, and Russia, and to expel their diplomats and advisors.

However, in the wake of the January 3 abduction of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Rodriguez invited representatives from those very nations to her inauguration earlier this month—and has yet to take definitive action against them.

Will she abandon her allies?

Reuters notes that previous CIA assessments viewed Delcy Rodriguez and other officials formerly loyal to Nicolas Maduro as the most viable options for governing the country following Maduro’s ousting.

In contrast, critics of Trump’s Venezuela strategy question the wisdom of maintaining figures closely associated with the Maduro era within the interim leadership.

According to two sources, concerns regarding Rodriguez’s credibility were being raised even before the US military operation began.

For Venezuela, compliance with US demands would mean abandoning its closest extra-regional allies.

Iran currently assists Caracas with refinery repairs, while China receives oil shipments in exchange for debt servicing. Russia serves as the primary arms supplier, providing the Venezuelan military with sophisticated weaponry, including missile systems.

Trump has also identified Cuba as a primary adversary, labeling the exchange of discounted Venezuelan oil for Cuban security and intelligence support as a relationship Caracas must terminate.

Since Maduro’s abduction, Rodriguez has made some gestures toward de-escalation, including the release of political prisoners and the approval of 30 to 50 million barrels of oil sales to the US.

Nevertheless, in a speech delivered Sunday, Rodriguez stated she was “tired of US interference.”

“Machado currently lacks the capacity to lead”

On the opposition front, sources told Reuters that recent intelligence assessments conclude Maria Corina Machado, a prominent opposition figure, is currently unable to lead the country effectively.

This assessment stems from Machado’s lack of established ties within the security forces and the vital oil industry.

Trump expressed an interest last week in involving Machado in the government, though he stopped short of providing specific details.

A source familiar with the discussions between the US administration and Machado noted that the opposition leader is well-regarded in the White House and is being considered a viable long-term leadership candidate.

Another source familiar with US policy toward Venezuela suggested that while Machado might be considered for an advisory role in the immediate future, no final decision has been reached.