MIAMI (AP) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio is testifying Tuesday over his interactions with former Miami congressman David Rivera nearly a decade ago, who has been accused of secretly lobbying on behalf of Venezuela’s government.
Rivera, along with an associate, faced charges in 2022 for money laundering and failing to register as a foreign agent after securing a $50 million lobbying contract from Nicolás Maduro’s government.
On the stand, Rubio disclosed that he worked closely with Rivera for six years in the Florida Legislature, describing their relationship as “very close” during their time in Tallahassee.
The indictment accuses Rivera and his co-defendant of attempting to arrange meetings for then-Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez — now Venezuela’s acting president — with various high-profile officials across the US.
Prosecutors claim surrounding their activities was a covert communication strategy utilizing a chat group named MIA, employing coded terms such as “Little Cuban” for Rubio, “The Lady in Red” for Rodríguez, and “melons” to reference millions of dollars.
The prosecution's opening remarks emphasized the case's moral underpinnings, stating, “This case is about two things: greed and betrayal,” as they detailed the allegations against the defendants.
In contrast, Rivera’s defense asserts that his firm was contracted by a subsidiary of Venezuela’s state-owned oil and didn't require foreign agent registration, arguing their work primarily focused on attracting Exxon back to Venezuela as a legitimate business venture.
Remarkably, Rubio's testimony marks a rare instance of a sitting member of the president’s Cabinet appearing in a criminal trial since Labor Secretary Raymond Donovan testified at a Mafia trial in 1983.
