US intelligence raises doubts about Venezuela leader's cooperation

NEW YORK, Jan 27 - U.S. intelligence reports have raised doubts about whether interim Venezuelan 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.

U.S. officials have said publicly they want the interim president to sever relations with close international allies like Iran, China and Russia, including expelling their diplomats and advisers from Venezuela.

But Rodriguez, whose swearing-in ceremony was attended by representatives of those countries early this month, has yet to publicly announce such a move. She became president after the U.S. captured former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3.

The U.S. intelligence reports said it was not clear if she is fully on board with the U.S. strategy in her country, according to the sources, who declined to be identified by name.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled on January 15 to Caracas, where he discussed the country's political future with Rodriguez. Reuters could not determine if those conversations changed the intelligence agencies' opinion.

Washington wants to rein in its foes' influence in the Western hemisphere, including in Venezuela, where Trump seeks to exploit the OPEC nation’s vast oil reserves.

If Rodriguez were to break ties with the U.S. rivals, it would open more opportunity for U.S. investment in Venezuela’s energy sector. But failure to control Rodriguez could undercut Washington’s efforts to direct the country’s interim rulers from afar and avoid a deeper U.S. military role.

The Central Intelligence Agency and the Venezuela government did not respond to requests for comment.

Asked for comment, a senior Trump administration official, who declined to be identified, said U.S. President Donald Trump "continues to exert maximum leverage" over Venezuela's leaders and "expects this cooperation to continue."

ABANDON LONGTIME ALLIES?

The CIA has previously assessed that officials loyal to Maduro, including Rodriguez, were best positioned to govern the country following his ouster.

But critics of Trump's Venezuela strategy have expressed doubts about the wisdom of keeping Maduro's loyalists in place as the country's interim leaders. The concerns about Rodriguez' reliability were present prior to the U.S. military operation, said two sources.

For Venezuela, the U.S. directive means abandoning its closest allies outside the region. Iran has helped Venezuela repair oil refineries while China has taken oil as repayment for debt. Russia has supplied weaponry, including missiles, to Venezuela's military.

Trump has also cited communist-led Cuba as another U.S. foe he wants Venezuela to abandon. Havana has provided security and intelligence support while receiving cut-rate Venezuelan oil.

Since Maduro's removal, Rodriguez, whose deep ties to the oil sector are crucial to keeping the country stable, has taken steps to stay in favor with Washington including releasing political prisoners and authorizing the sale of 30 million to 50 million barrels of oil to the United States.

In a speech on Sunday, Rodriguez said she has had “enough” of U.S. intervention. Still, U.S. officials have also held positive calls with her in recent days, according to two of the sources.

The Trump administration does not see an immediate alternative to working with Rodriguez, given it has publicly backed her so strongly, two of the sources said.

But U.S. officials are developing contacts with senior military and security officials in case they decide to change their approach, a source briefed on Venezuela policy said.

MACHADO CONSIDERED A LONGER-TERM OPTION TO RUN VENEZUELA

The recent intelligence reports also found that opposition leader Maria Corina Machado is not currently able to run the country successfully in part because she lacks strong ties to the country’s security services or oil sector, the sources said.

Some observers and Machado's movement say it won a 2024 election that year by a huge margin, though the state backed a Maduro victory. She remains popular with Venezuelans.

Trump told reporters last week he wanted Machado “involved” in the country’s leadership, without providing details.

One person familiar with the administration’s discussions with Machado said she is well-liked by the White House and is considered a longer-term option for a leadership position in Venezuela.

The separate source briefed on Venezuela policy suggested that for now, Machado could be considered for an advisory role but no firm decision had been made. Representatives for Machado did not respond to a request for comment. REUTERS