Under the guidance of President Trump, CIA Director John Ratcliffe held a meeting with Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodriguez in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, on Thursday, January 15th. The officials emphasized that Venezuela cannot continue to serve as a safe haven for adversaries of the United States.
This visit marks the highest-level contact between U.S. officials and Venezuela since the overturn of Maduro’s nearly 13-year rule earlier this month.
During the two-hour meeting, Ratcliffe and Venezuelan officials focused on building trust and communication between the two countries.
“In the meeting in Caracas, Director Ratcliffe discussed potential opportunities for economic cooperation and highlighted that Venezuela can no longer be a safe harbor for U.S. adversaries, especially drug trafficking groups,” a U.S. official said.
The U.S. official also stated, “Ratcliffe made it clear that Venezuela cannot support drug trafficking groups like TDA anymore.” TDA refers to the criminal group “Tren de Aragua.”
On the same day as the CIA director’s visit to Venezuela, Rodriguez delivered her first State of the Nation address since assuming the role of acting president of Venezuela. In her speech, she announced reforms in the oil industry to attract more foreign investment, a move that diverges significantly from Maduro’s policies.
U.S. officials described the meeting between Rodriguez and Ratcliffe as “historical” and noted that Ratcliffe is the first cabinet-level official to visit Venezuela.
On the same day as their meeting, President Trump met with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado at the White House. Machado stated that the meeting with Trump went very smoothly.
President Trump also had a phone conversation with Rodriguez on Wednesday, which both leaders described as friendly.
The CIA was involved in the operation that led to the capture of Maduro earlier this month. President Trump authorized the CIA to conduct secret operations in Venezuela back in October. During a press conference on January 3rd, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine revealed that in the months leading up to the operation against Maduro, U.S. intelligence agencies had been meticulously observing his daily life, tracking his movements, residence, travel destinations, dietary habits, clothing, and even details about his pets.