Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado visited the White House on Thursday to discuss Venezuela’s future with President Donald Trump, even as he dismissed her credibility to take over. a daring us military attack captured then-President Nicolás Maduro.
Visiting Trump carries some personal risk for Machado, whose whereabouts have been largely unknown since she left her home country last year after being briefly detained in Caracas. Still, after her closed-door discussion with Trump, she greeted the dozens of cheering supporters waiting for her near the gate, pausing to hug many.
“We can count on President Trump,” she told them, prompting some to briefly chant “Thank you, Trump,” without elaborating.
The jubilant scenes contrasted with Trump’s repeated skepticism about Machado and his commitment to supporting democratic rule in Venezuela. He has expressed his willingness to cooperate with Acting President Delcy Rodriguezwho is Maduro’s number two.
Like others in the deposed leader’s inner circle, Rodriguez remains in charge of the day-to-day running of the government and is delivering her first state of the union address Machado during his trip to Washington.
So far, Trump has sided with Rodriguez while sidelining Machado, who has long been the face of the Venezuelan resistance. Although Machado sought to build relationships with the president and key figures in government, e.g. Secretary of State Marco Rubioa gamble that aligns with the U.S. government and some of its top conservatives.
White House press secretary Carolyn Levitt called Machado an “extraordinary and courageous voice” for the Venezuelan people but said the meeting did not mean Trump’s view of her had changed, calling it a “realistic assessment.”
Trump said Machado was difficult to lead because she “had no support or respect at home.” It is widely believed that her party win the 2024 election Rejected by Maduro.
Levitt went on to say that Trump would support new elections in Venezuela “at the appropriate time,” but did not say when he thought that would be possible.
Trump administration downplays meeting expectations
Levitt said Machado sought an in-person meeting but did not set expectations for what would happen. Machado had previously offered to share the Nobel Peace Prize she won last year with Trump, an honor he coveted.
“I don’t think he needs to hear anything from Ms. Machado,” the press secretary said, other than “a frank and positive discussion of what’s going on in Venezuela.”
All told, Machado spent about two and a half hours at the White House but did not answer a question about whether she would award the Nobel Prize to Trump, saying only “thank you.” It was unclear whether she heard the question as she hugged and waited for supporters.
Machado will next be on Capitol Hill for a Senate meeting and then plans to speak to reporters.
Her trip to Washington began after U.S. troops were stationed in the Caribbean Seizure of another sanctioned oil tanker The Trump administration says it has ties to Venezuela.
It’s part of a broader U.S. effort to control the region oil in south american countries back U.S. troops capture Maduro and his wife in a high-security compound in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital, and brought them to New York to face trial drug trafficking charges.
Levitt said Venezuela’s interim authorities have been fully cooperating with the Trump administration, and the Rodriguez administration has said it plans to release more Prisoners detained under Maduro’s rule. Those released include five americans This week.
Rodriguez adopted Less tough stance on Trump She then moved immediately after Maduro’s ouster, suggesting she could make the Republican administration’s “America first” approach to the Western Hemisphere work on Venezuela — at least for now.
Trump said Wednesday he had a “great conversation” with Rodriguez, their first since Maduro was ousted.
“We had a phone call, a long phone call. We discussed a lot of things,” Trump said as he signed the bill in the Oval Office. “I think we’re getting along very well with Venezuela.”
Machado gets no nod from Trump
Even before expressing a willingness to work with Venezuela’s interim government, Trump was quick to snub Machado. Hours after Maduro’s arrest, Trump said of Machado that “she has a hard time being a leader.”
Machado took a cautious approach to avoid offending Trump, especially when Won the Peace Prize. She has since thanked Trump, though she offered to share the honor with him Rejected by Nobel Institute.
Even after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, Machado remained in hiding. She missed the ceremony but briefly reappeared in Oslo, Norway, in December after her daughter won an award on her behalf.
The daughter of an industrial engineer and a steel magnate, Machado began challenging the ruling party in 2004, when Súmate, an NGO she co-founded, pushed for a referendum to oust then-President Hugo Chávez. The plan failed, and Machado and other Sumate executives were charged with conspiracy.
A year later, she again incurred the wrath of Chavez and his allies when she traveled to Washington to meet with President George W. Bush. A photo of her shaking hands with Bush in the Oval Office remains in the collective memory. Chavez considered Bush an opponent.
Nearly two decades later, she is rallying millions of Venezuelans to reject re-election by Chavez’s successor, Maduro, in the 2024 elections. But electoral authorities loyal to the ruling party declared him the winner, despite overwhelming and credible evidence suggesting otherwise. The ensuing anti-government protests culminated in Brutal crackdown by state security forces.
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Garcia Cano reported from Caracas, Venezuela, and Janetsky reported from Mexico City. Associated Press Diplomacy Writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.