A classified assessment by the US Central Intelligence Agency has concluded that senior loyalists of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, including Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, are best positioned to ensure stability if the country’s leadership changes, according to sources briefed on the matter.
The assessment, prepared for US President Donald Trump, determined that figures closely aligned with Maduro’s existing power structure would be more capable of maintaining order and governing continuity than opposition leaders, the sources said. They confirmed details first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
According to the sources, President Trump was personally briefed on the CIA report, which was circulated among a small group of senior national security officials. The findings reportedly influenced Trump’s decision to back Vice President Delcy Rodríguez rather than opposition leader María Corina Machado as a potential transitional figure.
The White House declined to officially confirm the CIA assessment. However, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Trump is “routinely briefed on domestic political dynamics all over the world” and that his administration is making “realistic decisions” aimed at aligning Venezuela with US interests and improving conditions for the Venezuelan people.
The CIA report described Rodríguez as the figure best placed to preserve internal stability during a potential transition. Rodríguez, a longtime Maduro ally, has recently signaled a willingness to engage with Washington and cooperate on key issues.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado strongly rejected the idea of Rodríguez leading the country. In her first public comments since the weekend developments, Machado said she plans to return to Venezuela “as soon as possible” and denounced Rodríguez as illegitimate.
Speaking to Fox News host Sean Hannity from an undisclosed location, Machado accused Rodríguez of being “one of the main architects of torture, persecution, corruption, and narcotrafficking” and claimed she is rejected by the Venezuelan public. Machado insisted that the opposition commands overwhelming popular support, arguing that in free and fair elections the opposition would win “by over 90% of the votes.”
Machado also outlined her vision for Venezuela’s future, pledging to transform the country into “the energy hub of the Americas,” dismantle what she described as entrenched criminal networks, and facilitate the return of millions of Venezuelans who have fled the country in recent years.
The developments come amid heightened political uncertainty in Venezuela following reports that the US military forcibly removed President Maduro from power over the weekend, a claim that has further intensified debate over the country’s leadership and the role of Washington in shaping its political future.