US attack on Venezuela

CIA chief meets with Rodríguez in Caracas

CIA chief John Ratcliffe has met with Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodríguez in Caracas, sources tell the New York Times. The American heavyweight's visit can be seen as a signal to the opposition in the country, according to the newspaper.

Ratcliffe is said to have conveyed the message from Donald Trump that the United States "looks forward to improved cooperation". Intelligence cooperation and economic stability were discussed during the meeting. According to the information, the need for Venezuela not to function as a haven for drug traffickers was also emphasized.

Rodríguez has previously criticized the Trump administration for having "kidnapped" President Nicolás Maduro, but Washington sees her as a possible guarantor of stability in the country, writes Reuters. 

Trump thanks Machado for the award: "A fantastic gesture"

US President Donald Trump thanks Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado for offering him her Nobel Prize, reports the AP.

On the social media platform Truth Social, Trump writes:

“What a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you, María.”

Machado and Trump met at the White House on Thursday. After the meeting, she reportedly left the medal, which she said she gave him “in recognition of his unique commitment to freedom.” 

Analysis: A gold medal – the price of regime change?

If the price of regime change in Venezuela is giving Donald Trump a gold medal, then it is a price that María Corina Machado is prepared to pay.

This is stated by Sky News USA correspondent James Matthews in an analysis, after Machado offered Trump her Peace Prize medal during a visit to the White House yesterday. According to Matthews, Machado believes that the ends justify the means.

“The greater prize is democracy in her homeland or, as she puts it, freedom over tyranny.”

However, Trump's interest in freedom and democracy seems to be subordinate to the business opportunities he sees in Venezuela, writes CNN's Stefano Pozzebon in an analysis.

"If she wants to regain Trump's favor, Machado knows she has some catching up to do."

Instead, it is interim president Delcy Rodríguez, part of the old guard under Nicolás Maduro, who Trump has rallied behind.

"He is counting on the political infrastructure that already exists in Venezuela to facilitate access to the oil," writes Matthews.