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María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, is scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump on Thursday, the White House has confirmed.
This meeting follows the recent apprehension of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas by U.S. forces. However, President Trump has yet to endorse Machado, whose movement declared victory in the widely disputed 2024 elections, as the country’s new leader.
Instead, the U.S. has extended its support to Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s former vice-president.
Last week, Machado expressed her intention to personally thank President Trump for the action taken against Maduro and voiced a desire to present him with her Nobel Prize. While Trump called it “a great honour,” the Nobel Committee subsequently clarified that the prize is non-transferable.
Previously, President Trump had reportedly expressed his displeasure with Machado’s acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize, an honor he has long sought.
When questioned on Friday whether receiving Machado’s prize might alter his perspective on her role in Venezuela, the President stated, “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 added.
Earlier this month, following Maduro’s removal, President Trump commented that Machado “doesn’t have the support within, or the respect within, the country.” He continued, “She’s a very nice woman, but she doesn’t have the respect.”
The United States has, to date, backed Delcy Rodríguez as Venezuela’s interim president.
President Trump describes Rodríguez as an “ally,” and she has not been charged with any crimes by U.S. officials.
“Delcy Rodríguez and her team have been very cooperative with the United States,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on Monday.
However, Machado has asserted that her coalition should “absolutely” be in charge of the country.
Machado has stated that Rodríguez is not trusted, telling CBS that the interim leader was “one of the main architects… of repression for innocent people” in Venezuela.
“Everybody in Venezuela and abroad knows perfectly who she is and the role she has played,” Machado said.
The former legislator, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year, described U.S. military action in Venezuela as “a major step towards restoring prosperity and rule of law and democracy in Venezuela.”
Rodríguez has rejected President Trump’s claims that the U.S. is in charge of Venezuela.
“The Venezuelan government rules our country, and no-one else does,” she stated in a televised address. “There is no external agent governing Venezuela.”
The administration has announced plans to deploy “hundreds more” federal officers to the state following the fatal shooting of a woman by an agent last week.
The U.S. president and his administration have threatened “very strong options” to intervene in Iran, including potential military action.
Authorities are responding to the protests with a severe security crackdown and a near-total internet shutdown.
The BBC’s diplomatic correspondent, Caroline Hawley, is examining the latest developments unfolding in Iran.
Jerome Powell suggested that the investigation stemmed from Donald Trump’s displeasure with the Fed’s refusal to lower interest rates.
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