The CIA chief, whose agents are believed to have played a pivotal role in the abduction of Nicolás Maduro, has traveled to Venezuela to meet with his successor, María Corina Machado, who has pledged to become the country's first elected female president. Machado's comments, broadcast on Friday, followed her symbolic act of returning Donald Trump's Nobel Peace Prize medal, a move she made in protest against Maduro's abduction by US special forces.
The conservative politician expressed optimism about Venezuela's future, predicting freedom from the economic turmoil and authoritarian rule that has plagued her homeland under Maduro. She stated, 'I believe I will be elected as the president of Venezuela, the first woman president, when the right time comes.' However, experts suggest that Trump's support has shifted towards Maduro's vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez, who is now governing as the acting president with the backing of key Maduro allies, including the feared interior minister, Diosdado Cabello.
Eva Golinger, a US lawyer who advised Maduro's predecessor, Hugo Chávez, believes that Machado's efforts to regain Trump's favor may be futile. She notes that Rodríguez's administration is already complying with Trump's demands, such as opening Venezuela's oil reserves to US companies. The first US deportation flight since Maduro's capture arrived in Caracas on Friday, carrying 199 Venezuelans.
Imdat Oner, a former Turkish diplomat in Venezuela, doubts that Machado's gesture will change Trump's stance. He suggests that the opposition's hopes were misplaced in the Trump administration, which did not remove Maduro's regime from power as expected. Oner concludes that Machado's prospects of becoming president are currently 'completely out of the question'.
The arrival of the CIA director, John Ratcliffe, in Caracas on Thursday, was seen as a significant moment for both Rodríguez and her 'interim administration'. Ratcliffe's agents had previously played a crucial role in identifying Maduro's location, leading to his abduction. A US official revealed that Ratcliffe's visit aimed to strengthen relations with Rodríguez's regime, despite the controversial actions of the CIA in Venezuela.
