CIA Director John Ratcliffe met Thursday with acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez, a U.S. official confirmed to Scripps News. The meeting comes as the Trump administration appears poised to continue engaging with the interim government following a dramatic U.S. operation that led to the capture of ousted President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.
"At President Trump's direction, Director Ratcliffe traveled to Venezuela to meet with interim President Delcy Rodriguez to deliver the message that the United States looks forward to an improved working relationship," the official said in a statement. "During the meeting in Caracas, Director Ratcliffe discussed potential opportunities for economic collaboration and that Venezuela can no longer be a safe haven for America's adversaries, especially narcotraffickers."
Thursday's trip by Ratcliffe, first reported byThe New York Times, represents the highest-level meeting between the U.S. and interim Venezuelan leaders, and came the same day President Donald Trump met with María Corina Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
The U.S. official, granted anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, said Ratcliffe's meeting lasted about two hours and was accomplished in close coordination with the White House, Department of State and Pentagon.
The meeting laid the groundwork for continued communication and collaboration with interim Venezuelan authorities, the official added. In their conversation, Ratcliffe stressed the need for Venezuela to stop providing support to narcotraffickers, and asked officials to collaborate with the U.S. on continued takedowns of drug organizations, specifically Tren de Aragua.
Ahead of Ratcliffe's meeting, Trump spoke by phone with Rodríguez on Wednesday, heannouncedin a post on social media, noting officials "are making tremendous progress, as we help Venezuela stabilize and recover."
Rodriguez, in her ownsocial media pos,tdescribed her conversation with the president as "long and courteous" and noted the leaders "addressed a bilateral work agenda for the benefit of our peoples, as well as pending matters between our governments."
Despite Rodríguez's ties to Maduro, U.S. officials thus far have signaled that they see her leadership — and the interim government more broadly — as the safest path to maintaining stability in the country, at least in the short term.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday that Trump believes Machado currently lacks the support to lead Venezuela, "based on realities on the ground."
Such an assessment is "based on what the president was reading and hearing from his advisors and national security team," Leavitt added. "At this moment in time, his opinion on that matter has not changed."
Though Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said he wants to see a "transition to democracy" in Venezuela, Trump has indicated he doesn't see that happening anytime soon.
"They couldn't have an election," he told Fox News inan interviewthat aired Jan. 9. "They would not even know how to have an election right now, the country has become third world."
Leavitt echoed those comments on Thursday, suggesting the president is "committed to hopefully seeing elections in Venezuela one day" but couldn't provide an "updated timetable" as to when that might be.
During her meeting with Trump, Machado presented him with her Nobel medal. She latertold Fox Newsshe did so "because he deserves it."
"I decided to present the Nobel Peace Prize medal on behalf of the people of Venezuela," she added.
The Norwegian Nobel Institute, for its part, has noted the prize is not transferable.
"Regardless of what may happen to the medal, the diploma, or the prize money, it is and remains the original laureate who is recorded in history as the recipient of the prize," Institute officials said in astatement. "Even if the medal or diploma later comes into someone else's possession, this does not alter who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize."
Trump on Friday told reporters Machado offered him the prize of her own volition, suggesting "it was a very nice gesture."
Asked why he continues to back the interim government over the democratically-elected opposition leader, Trump likened the situation to the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
"Everybody was fired, and they ended up being ISIS. Instead of just getting down to business, they ended up being ISIS," Trump claimed.
Still, Trump added that he had "great respect" for Machado, describing her as a "very fine woman."
"I had a great meeting yesterday by a person who I have a lot of respect for, and she has respect - obviously - for me and our country," Trump said. "She gave me her Nobel Prize, but, I'll tell you what, I got to know her. I never met her before, and I was very, very impressed."
