On Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio took the witness stand in Miami federal court against his longtime friend and former Florida congressman David Rivera, in a dramatic moment in a case centered on allegations that Rivera secretly lobbied for Venezuela's government without registering as a foreign agent.
Prosecutors say Rivera and political consultant Esther Nuhfer used a $50 million contract tied to Citgo, a U.S. subsidiary of Venezuela's state oil company, to influence U.S. policy during the first Trump administration. Rivera and Nuhfer have pleaded not guilty. Rubio's appearance was unusual not only because of his current role as the nation's top diplomat, but also because of his personal history with Rivera.
The two men rose through South Florida Republican politics together and were once roommates, according to AP. On the stand, Rubio said Rivera never told him he had a lucrative contract connected to Citgo or that he was representing interests aligned with Nicolás Maduro's government when the two discussed Venezuela in 2017.
According to Reuters, Rubio testified that he believed Rivera was pitching an effort aimed at supporting a democratic transition in Venezuela, not helping Maduro's government. Rubio told jurors he would not have engaged in those conversations had he known Rivera was being paid under the contract prosecutors described. AP reported that Rubio recounted an urgent 2017 meeting in which Rivera outlined a plan that Rubio understood as an attempt to push Maduro from power.
Federal prosecutors argue Rivera's alleged lobbying campaign was part of a covert effort to soften Washington's approach to Caracas, ease sanctions pressure, and help restore business ties. Reuters reported that prosecutors say Rivera received $20 million from the deal. AP reported that the broader contract was allegedly worth $50 million and was linked to efforts to gain access to prominent U.S. officials, including Rubio and then-White House aide Kellyanne Conway.
The case has been one of South Florida's most closely watched political corruption and foreign influence trials, in part because of Rivera's long and controversial profile in Miami politics and in part because it touches U.S.-Venezuela relations during a volatile period. Rivera served in Congress from 2011 to 2013. Prosecutors contend he and Nuhfer should have registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, while the defense says Rivera's work was commercial in nature and tied to business consulting, not political lobbying.
Rivera's lawyers also used cross-examination to emphasize the two men's longstanding friendship and their shared anti-Maduro views. Reuters reported that Rubio acknowledged Rivera never spoke positively about Maduro in their conversations, a point the defense has used to argue that Rivera was not secretly advancing the Venezuelan leader's interests. Rivera has maintained that he was trying to help Venezuela's opposition and pursue business solutions, not act as an illegal foreign agent.
