MIAMI (FlashPoint) — On Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified regarding his interactions with former congressman David Rivera, who is accused of secret lobbying for the Venezuelan government nearly a decade ago. Rivera, alongside an associate, faced charges for money laundering and failing to register as a foreign agent after reportedly securing a $50 million lobbying contract from Nicolás Maduro’s administration.
During his testimony, Rubio highlighted a close relationship with Rivera, indicating they had worked together in the Florida Legislature for six years. He described their time in Tallahassee as a period of strong camaraderie.
The charges against Rivera include attempts to arrange federal meetings for Venezuela’s former foreign minister Delcy Rodríguez, aiming to facilitate relations with officials in Washington and corporate leaders in key American cities.
To cover their activities, prosecutors claim Rivera and his co-defendant established a coded chat group named MIA, utilizing Spanish terms to refer to various individuals and funds, indicating a sophisticated effort to disguise their lobbying efforts.
Prosecutors assert that the lobbying aimed to persuade the first Trump administration to consider normalizing relations with Maduro, a move deemed implausible at the time yet suggesting potential changes in diplomatic tone following Maduro’s recent challenges in maintaining power.
Rivera’s defense insists that his dealings were focused exclusively on American business ventures, particularly involving Exxon Mobil, arguing that they did not require registration as foreign agents. They framed Rivera’s work as distinct from his lobbying for the Venezuelan state, claiming it was targeted towards supporting the local economy.
This court appearance is particularly noteworthy; it marks one of the few instances where a sitting member of the Cabinet has testified in a criminal trial, stirring considerable media attention.
