The Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, William R. Ratcliffe, met with the interim president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, in Caracas on Thursday, stating that the United States expects to establish a better working relationship with Venezuela. The two sides discussed intelligence cooperation, economic stability, and ensuring that the country no longer becomes a safe haven for "U.S. adversaries, especially drug traffickers." This visit further solidified the Trump administration's position that, in the short term, having the interim government manage Venezuela is the best way to maintain stability in the country. Ratcliffe was the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Venezuela since the U.S. military raided Caracas two weeks ago to arrest Maduro, and he was also the first cabinet member to visit. The day before, Trump had spoken by phone with Rodríguez and also met with opposition leader María Corina Machado, who presented him with a Nobel Peace Prize medal. Ratcliffe's high-profile visit to Venezuela and the signals of cooperation may be seen as a slight to the opposition. Opposition supporters have been dissatisfied, believing that the Trump administration has not tried to put González, Machado's ally, in power after capturing Maduro. Some international election experts believe that González was actually the winner of the 2024 elections in Venezuela, but Maduro has refused to step down.
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Original: toutiao.com/article/1854538055944202/
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