U.S. intelligence officials have described Venezuela's interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, as a pragmatic political figure capable of working with Washington, according to assessments cited after a rare visit to Caracas by C.I.A. Director John Ratcliffe.
Ratcliffe met Rodríguez on Thursday in the Venezuelan capital, according to The New York Times. He became the most senior U.S. official to visit the country since U.S. forces captured former president Nicolás Maduro earlier this month. The meeting followed a phone call between President Donald Trump and Rodríguez and came on the same day Trump met with opposition leader María Corina Machado.
According to a U.S. official familiar with the discussions, Ratcliffe was dispatched at Trump's direction to signal interest in an improved working relationship. The talks covered intelligence cooperation, economic stability and preventing Venezuela from becoming a "safe haven for America's adversaries, especially narco-traffickers," the official said.
The engagement reflects deliberations that began last summer, when senior U.S. officials debated how to remove Maduro without triggering instability. Officials told The New York Times that they were wary of repeating the mistakes made in Iraq after the U.S. dismantled state institutions, a move widely blamed for years of insurgency.
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As part of those discussions, the C.I.A. produced an early assessment portraying Rodríguez, then vice president, as a negotiator rather than an ideologue. One intelligence report noted that she wore a $15,000 dress to her inauguration, prompting an official to remark that "she is a socialist but the most capitalistic one I've seen."
Rodríguez had participated in talks with Richard Grenell, Trump's special envoy, as the administration explored ways to persuade Maduro to relinquish power voluntarily. While no agreement emerged, officials said Rodríguez demonstrated a willingness to identify potential areas of compromise.
Subsequent intelligence reporting concluded that keeping Rodríguez in place temporarily would be the most effective way to avoid chaos after Maduro's removal. U.S. intelligence also judged opposition leaders, including Machado and Edmundo González, as unlikely to secure cooperation from security forces in the short term.
The Ratcliffe visit has been viewed by some opposition supporters as a setback, as Washington appears to prioritize stability and continuity while focusing on counter-drug operations and expanded U.S. involvement in Venezuela's oil sector, in expense of democratic elections.
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