CIA helps US claw back influence in Venezuela - CNN

According to sources familiar with the plans, discussions between the CIA and the State Department are focusing on both the format of US influence in the short term and a longer-term strategy.

Sources told the network that while the State Department will be responsible for shaping a long-term diplomatic presence, Washington will rely heavily on the CIA in the initial phase.

One of the intelligence agency’s priorities is creating conditions for the restoration of diplomatic relations, establishing contacts with local political actors, and ensuring security.

Before the official reopening of the embassy, US representatives may operate under CIA coordination, building informal ties with government officials and opposition figures while neutralizing potential threats.

CNN also reports that the agency may be tasked with informing Venezuela’s leadership about the activities of US competitors in the region, including Russia, China, and Iran.

At the same time, sources say US agencies are still awaiting clear guidance from the White House on next steps in Venezuela.

Statements by Trump suggesting possible US control over the country have only complicated the situation, CNN sources note.

Neither the CIA nor the State Department has provided official comment, although Washington has already begun preliminary steps to restore its diplomatic presence following the closure of the US embassy in Caracas in 2019.

US–Venezuela relations

Previously, Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, said the country was tired of US interference, stressing that our issues should be resolved by Venezuelan politicians themselves.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said Venezuela is releasing its political prisoners at an accelerated pace, adding that the process is expected to speed up further in the near future.

Earlier, media outlets, citing the Venezuelan human rights organization Foro Penal, reported that more than 100 political prisoners had been released in recent weeks amid pressure from the United States.

As reported, on January 3, the US carried out a large-scale special operation in Venezuela, launching airstrikes on the capital, Caracas. The goal of the operation was the detention of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, who was taken to the US by the US military along with his wife, Cilia Flores.