CIA Director Meets Venezuela's Interim President in Caracas
CIA Director John Ratcliffe met Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodríguez in Caracas to discuss economic collaboration and security after the US seizure of Nicolás Maduro.
Overview
CIA Director John Ratcliffe held a two-hour meeting with interim President Delcy Rodríguez in Caracas, described by US officials as a historic first Cabinet-level visit to Venezuela.
Meeting aimed to build trust after Maduro's seizure, discussing potential economic collaboration, oil industry reforms and US insistence that Venezuela stop serving as a safe haven for narcotraffickers.
President Trump has urged US oil investment in Venezuela, saying American firms will operate there; administration officials said the US would control sales of sanctioned Venezuelan oil indefinitely.
Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were seized and detained in New York, facing drug trafficking and related charges; Maduro has pleaded not guilty and denies wrongdoing.
Rodríguez proposed hydrocarbon law reforms to allow more foreign investment and create sovereign funds for social and infrastructure needs amid economic crisis and international legal concerns.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this coverage as a US-led diplomatic and economic normalization in Venezuela, emphasizing U.S. officials' language (e.g., calling the visit "historic") and Trump's investment agenda while foregrounding Rodríguez's reform proposals. They prioritize U.S. perspectives and investor voices, marginalize Maduro-supporting viewpoints, and link events to create a pro-engagement narrative.
Sources (3)
FAQ
Delcy Rodríguez, formerly Nicolás Maduro's vice president, became Venezuela's acting or interim president following the US seizure and detention of Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in New York on drug trafficking charges.
The two-hour meeting in Caracas aimed to build trust after Maduro's seizure, discussing economic collaboration, oil industry reforms, and US demands for Venezuela to stop serving as a safe haven for narcotraffickers.
Rodríguez proposed partial reforms to the Hydrocarbon Law, incorporating models from the Anti-Blockade Law to attract foreign investment, direct new investments to underdeveloped areas, and create sovereign funds for social spending and infrastructure using oil revenues.
The Trump administration plans to control future Venezuelan oil export revenues indefinitely to ensure they benefit the Venezuelan people, with upcoming sanctions withdrawals or waivers to facilitate transactions, and companies like Vitol and Trafigura receiving licenses.
Venezuela's oil production reached 1.2 million barrels per day in December 2025, with revenues allocated to public health, economic development, and infrastructure projects.
History
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