A 29 June 2026 CIA Note summarizes selected 2004–2020 intelligence reporting and analytic caveats concerning Venezuelan government interest in and potential technical capability to manipulate electronic voting systems.
The note says it summarizes selected reporting rather than comprehensively reassessing all available intelligence. It also states that the product reflects a CIA perspective and was not coordinated across the Intelligence Community.
“It is not a comprehensive re-assessment of all available intelligence on this topic”
“This product reflects a CIA perspective and was not coordinated within the Intelligence Community.”
The summary says reporting supported a judgment that Venezuelan officials had sustained interest and likely some capability to manipulate electronic voting systems, including Smartmatic technology. It also says the intelligence did not definitively confirm successful large-scale electronic fraud in particular Venezuelan elections and that baseline assessments found other factors better explained outcomes.
“developed sustained interest and likely some capability in manipulating electronic voting systems, including Smartmatic technology”
“it did not definitively confirm that large-scale electronic fraud was successfully executed in specific Venezuelan elections”
Pre-election source reporting alleged that Venezuelan intelligence services, the electoral council, and Smartmatic developed a plan using preprogrammed machines for the 2012 election. The note emphasizes that CIA's baseline assessment nevertheless found no large-scale electronic fraud in that election, citing polling, the opposition's concession, and no irregular voting patterns in its quantitative analysis.
“worked with the National Electoral Council (CNE) and Smartmatic to develop plans to manipulate election results using preprogrammed voting machines.”
“CIA's baseline assessment regarding Venezuela's 2012 election maintained that large-scale electronic fraud did not occur”
CIA analysts judged certain described capabilities theoretically achievable, including functions intended to alter tallies and evade audits, but the note expressly distinguishes feasibility analysis from confirmation that such features were installed or used.
“this assessment focused on technical feasibility rather than confirmation that such features were actually implemented.”
A 2006 assessment treated Smartmatic's acquisition of Sequoia as a potential avenue for Venezuelan interference in U.S. electoral processes, contributing to Smartmatic's 2007 divestiture. The same body of analysis concluded that neither Smartmatic nor Venezuela possessed the comprehensive control needed to manipulate an election outside Venezuela predictably.
“Smartmatic's susceptibility to Venezuelan government manipulation makes the acquisition a potential instrument for Venezuelan officials seeking to undermine confidence in, or manipulate the electoral process in, the United States.”
“resulted in Smartmatic divesting its ownership of Sequoia in 2007.”
“neither Smartmatic nor the Venezuelan Government had the capability—that is, the level of control or access required—to manipulate the outcome of an election outside of Venezuela in a predictable fashion.”