US intelligence agencies have expressed doubts about interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez’s willingness to cooperate with the Trump administration in severing diplomatic ties with countries that Washington views as adversaries. CIA director John Ratcliffe visited Caracas on 15 January to discuss the country’s political future, but it is unclear whether Rodriguez has agreed to the US plan to expel Iranian, Chinese, Russian and Cuban diplomats. Rodriguez, who took office after US forces captured former President Nicolas Maduro on 3 January, has yet to announce any such move. Washington hopes that a break with those allies would open U.S. investment opportunities in Venezuela’s oil sector, while failure to secure Rodriguez’s cooperation could undermine the administration’s influence and avoid deeper military involvement. The story reports that Rodriguez has already made concessions to gain U.S. goodwill, such as releasing political prisoners and authorizing the sale of up to 50 million barrels of oil to the United States. Analysts note that the U.S. sees Rodriguez as a loyalist who can be used to further its objectives, while opposition leader Maria Corina Machado is considered unlikely to lead the country due to a lack of ties to security services and the oil sector.

Original article can be found here.