Miami businessman Mauricio Claver-Carone shaped US policy on Venezuela without holding any formal post.3 min readAug 1, 2026 05:01 AM IST First published on: Aug 1, 2026 at 04:58 AM IST ShareWhatsapptwitterFacebookMauricio Claver-Carone, Trump's unofficial Venezuela adviser, has left his role. (Photo: LinkedIn/ @Mauricio J. Claver-Carone)Mauricio Claver-Carone, the Miami businessman who guided US policy on Venezuela, has stepped away from his unofficial post. He told Reuters the exit was his own choice. But several people close to the matter said he was pushed out in recent weeks.Claver-Carone held no formal government job, yet he answered to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and became one of the most influential voices on Venezuela after the 3 January raid that captured President Nicolas Maduro.That informal power became the problem. Claver-Carone ran his own private equity fund at the same time as he advised on Venezuela’s oil and debt deals, deals that could eventually be worth billions of dollars. Some Trump allies questioned whether a private citizen should hold that much sway over US firms competing for Venezuelan business.Claver-Carone told Reuters that neither he nor his fund holds any financial stake in Venezuela. He summed up his exit in five words: “I’m retired on Venezuela.”Who pushed back on him?Former US ambassador Richard Grenell, who once held the Venezuela envoy role himself, reportedly raised concerns about Claver-Carone’s business dealings directly with Trump in early July. Grenell did not respond to requests for comment.Story continues below this adClaver-Carone also leaned on Venezuelan businessman Alejandro Betancourt as a go-between with Venezuela’s new government. Betancourt has faced years of scrutiny over corruption and money-laundering claims in several countries, including the US, which he denies. That link added to unease among some officials and investors.The State Department denied he was removed from any role. A spokesperson described him as a private citizen with regional contacts and rejected any suggestion he was forced out.What he leaves behindDuring his time in the role, Claver-Carone helped US firm Centerview Partners win a contract worth more than $150 million (roughly ₹1,250 crore) to restructure Venezuela’s nearly $200 billion in debt, without any competitive bidding. He also helped set up talks between Venezuela’s government and opposition leaders, due to start on 1 August.Most ReadMaduro’s replacement, former Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, worked closely with Claver-Carone and proved more open to US demands to open up the country’s economy.Story continues below this adIn Trump’s first term, Claver-Carone led the Inter-American Development Bank before leaving over misconduct claims. He also pushed for sanctions on Venezuela in 2019 and helped roll back Obama-era ties with Cuba.It is not yet clear how much his exit will change US business dealings in Venezuela. Several other US officials remain active on the file and show no sign of stepping back.AdvertisementLoading Recommendations...Advertisement