India, March 24 -- The federal trial of a former Miami congressman accused of secretly lobbying for Venezuela's Government during the first Trump administration begins Monday, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio set to testify over his interactions with his old friend.

Prosecutors allege David Rivera was a hired gun for former President Nicolas Maduro, leveraging Republican connections from his time in Congress to push the White House to abandon its hard line on Venezuela's socialist Government.

Rivera, who at one time had been Rubio's roommate in Florida, allegedly persuaded then Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez - now Venezuela's acting president - to award him a $50 million lobbying contract to be paid by state oil company PDVSA.

As ...