Mike Baker

It was in that context that the CIA began to focus on Rodriguez.

Early assessments described her, then the vice president of Maduro, as a socialist by background, but pragmatic rather than ideological, someone potentially willing to negotiate with Washington.

Rodriguez had also been involved in earlier negotiations with Trump's special envoy, Richard Grenell, and other U.S.

officials as part of an effort to persuade Maduro to step aside voluntarily.

Obviously, no agreement was reached, but U.S.

officials say she consistently sought common ground, even as negotiations failed to deliver a Maduro resignation.

Those assessments ultimately shaped the Trump administration's conclusion that keeping Rodriguez in place for the time offers the best chance to avoid sustained instability.

As we've been tracking since Maduro's removal, Trump has focused more on expanding U.S.

access to Venezuela's oil sector than on restoring democracy outright.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he supports a democratic transition and has even praised Machado while acknowledging a reality that the administration keeps returning to.

The opposition, at least currently, lacks a governing presence inside Venezuela.

Now, Rubio has said he expects Machado to have an opportunity to compete when elections are eventually held.

But for now, the administration sees Rodriguez and the remaining members of the Maduro regime as capable of keeping control of security forces and maintaining infrastructure and, importantly, coordinating closely with Washington.

And that, my friends, is the PDB Afternoon Bulletin for Monday, the 19th of January.

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I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back tomorrow.

Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.