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Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, along with his wife Cilia Flores, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, and Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, participated in a year-end tribute to the military forces in La Guaira on December 28, 2025. — Reuters
– A classified CIA report presented to President Donald Trump indicated that top Maduro supporters, including Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, are the most capable of maintaining stability if Maduro were to exit power.
– The CIA’s intelligence suggests that Rodriguez is in the best position to uphold stability in Venezuela.
– The White House has not officially confirmed the CIA’s assessment regarding Venezuela.
A confidential CIA analysis given to President Trump concluded that loyalists within Maduro’s circle, notably Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, are the most likely to stabilize the nation if Maduro is ousted, according to two anonymous sources familiar with the matter, reaffirming an exclusive report by the Wall Street Journal.
The report was part of the intelligence briefings Trump received, which were shared with a small circle of his top security advisors.
This evaluation influenced Trump’s decision to support Nicolás Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, rather than opposition figure María Corina Machado, the sources said.
The White House declined to directly comment on the CIA’s findings, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt stating, “President Trump is regularly briefed on political developments worldwide. His decisions are based on realistic assessments to ensure Venezuela’s interests align with those of the United States, aiming for a better future for Venezuelans.”
Meanwhile, opposition leader María Corina Machado announced her intention to return to Venezuela “as soon as possible,” criticizing the interim government in Caracas.
In her first public statement since the weekend when the U.S. military reportedly removed Maduro from power, Machado, who is a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, expressed her commitment to returning home.
“I plan to go back to Venezuela at the earliest opportunity,” Machado told Sean Hannity on Fox News from an undisclosed location.
Machado explicitly condemned the country’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, accusing her of being a primary architect behind torture, persecution, corruption, and drug trafficking.
Rodriguez, who has shown some willingness to cooperate with U.S. authorities, served as Venezuela’s vice president under Maduro. Machado emphasized that Rodriguez is widely rejected by the Venezuelan populace and asserted that voters favor the opposition.
“In free and fair elections, we would win with over 90% of the vote—I have no doubt about it,” Machado declared.
Machado also outlined her vision to transform Venezuela into the energy hub of the Americas and to dismantle criminal networks that have inflicted harm on the country. She promised to facilitate the return of millions of Venezuelans who have fled the nation.
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