In brief
María Corina Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and Venezuelan opposition leader, will meet with President Trump at the White House amidst the backdrop of recent political shifts in Venezuela. Despite Trump's past support for Maduro's former vice president, Machado expresses hope for support against tyranny in her country. This meeting comes after Machado’s movement claimed victory in the contested 2024 elections, and reflects ongoing tensions and shifts within Venezuela's political landscape.
Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado will meet President Donald Trump on Thursday, the White House has confirmed.
The visit comes just weeks after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was seized in Caracas by US forces. However, Trump declined to endorse Machado, whose movement claimed victory in 2024's widely contested elections, as its new leader.
The US instead backed Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro's former vice-president.
Machado said last week she hoped to thank Trump personally for the action against Maduro and would like to give the Nobel Prize to him. Trump called it a great honour, but the Nobel Committee later clarified that it was not transferable.
Earlier, Trump had expressed displeasure over Machado's decision to accept the Nobel Peace Prize, an honour the president has long coveted.
Asked on Friday whether receiving Machado's prize might change his view of her role in Venezuela, the president said: She might be involved in some aspect of it.
I will have to speak to her. I think it's very nice that she wants to come in. And that's what I understand the reason is, he said.
This month, following Maduro's ouster, Trump remarked that Machado doesn't have the support within, or the respect within, the country. Despite acknowledging her as a nice woman, he claimed she lacks the respect necessary to lead.
Meanwhile, the US has backed Delcy Rodríguez as Venezuela's interim president, with Trump describing her as an ally who has cooperated well with US officials.
Machado argues that her coalition must lead the country and criticized Rodríguez as lacking trust and being complicit in repression.
The former legislator views US military action in Venezuela as a vital step towards democracy and restoring prosperity.
Rodríguez, however, firmly stated that Venezuela is governed by its own administration, dismissing claims of US control.
