CIA director traveled to Venezuela to meet with country’s acting president

  CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Venezuelas acting president, Delcy Rodrguez, in Caracas on Thursday, according to a Reuters report citing a US official. The official said Ratcliffe discussed possible avenues for economic collaboration and made clear it was unacceptable for Venezuela to continue serving as a safe haven for Americas adversaries, particularly narcotraffickers. The meeting, first reported by the New York Times, comes amid President Donald Trumps increasing assertion of US control over Venezuela, especially its oil sector, following the capture of Nicols Maduro earlier this month. Trump has claimed the United States will effectively run the country after Maduros removal. Trump has publicly shown support for Rodrguez, a longtime regime insider, over opposition leader Mara Corina Machado. Machado met with Trump on Thursday and reportedly presented him with her Nobel Peace Prize medal. Trump administration officials told lawmakers during a post-capture briefing that Maduros removal did not amount to a regime change operation, as the Venezuelan government remains largely intact under Rodrguez, who previously served as Maduros deputy. Sources familiar with the matter said the administrations decision to back Rodrguez over Machado was influenced by a classified CIA analysis assessing the immediate impact of Maduro no longer being president and the short-term implications of his removal. The intelligence assessment was commissioned by senior policymakers, with the CIA expected to continue providing guidance on Venezuelas leadership situation. The CIA also played a key role in the operation that led to Maduros capture. In August, the agency covertly deployed a small team inside Venezuela to track Maduros movements and routines, helping to support the operation carried out earlier this month. According to sources, one CIA asset operating within the Venezuelan government assisted in pinpointing Maduros location. Ratcliffes meeting with Rodrguez was intended to build trust, the US official said, and reflects the CIA directors push for stronger human intelligence gathering and a less risk-averse approach by the agency. The post CIA director traveled to Venezuela to meet with countrys acting president appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.