Former Chevron executive told CIA the opposition would struggle to control Venezuela

AI Summary

Former Chevron executive Ali Moshiri reportedly warned the CIA that Venezuela's opposition, led by María Corina Machado, would struggle to control the country's security apparatus if given a direct transfer of power following Nicolás Maduro's ouster. Moshiri instead recommended backing Delcy Rodríguez as a more stable transitional figure. The disclosure reveals the complex intelligence and energy interests shaping U.S. policy toward Venezuela.

Ali Moshiri, Chevron’s former top executive for Venezuela and a longtime Washington interlocutor on energy matters, warned the CIA before Nicolás Maduro’s ouster that a direct handover of power to the opposition led by María Corina Machado could produce an unstable transition because she lacked control over the security apparatus and the state’s real power centers, according to a report published on Sunday. In that assessment, Moshiri recommended that the United States back Delcy Rodríguez as the more viable figure to manage the immediate succession.