The United States is pressuring Venezuela's interim government to remove official advisers from China, Russia, Cuba and Iran, according to US officials.
According to the New York Times, the request was made by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to the country's new interim leader, Delcy Rodriguez, in a closed-door meeting with senior Congressional officials.
According to the same sources, the United States is seeking the withdrawal of agents and military personnel from all four countries, while some diplomats may remain in Venezuela.
Rubio also reportedly asked Rodriguez to resume oil trade with the United States, a request that Donald Trump has also made publicly. To bring American oil companies back into the country, Venezuela may have to relax or end the nationalization of its energy sector and consider paying reparations.
Rodriguez is trying to defend Venezuela's sovereignty while maintaining a soft tone toward the United States. As a transitional leader, she faces balancing securing her political future with avoiding conflict with Washington, as U.S. naval forces remain offshore and Trump has made direct threats.
