United States President Donald Trump met this Thursday afternoon with the leader of the Venezuelan opposition, María Corina Machado, in a sensitive meeting that could affect the way the US president seeks to shape the political future of the South American country.
After the meeting, Machado told reporters that he had presented Trump with his Nobel Peace Prize medal, although it was not immediately clear whether he accepted the medal, which he has long coveted. Machado said she did so in recognition of his commitment to the freedom of the Venezuelan people.
The lunch, which lasted just over an hour, marked the first time the two met in person. Machado next met with more than a dozen senators, both Republicans and Democrats, on Capitol Hill, where she generally found more enthusiastic allies.
During the visit, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump was eager to meet Machado, but that he maintained his “realistic” assessment that she does not currently have the support needed to lead the country in the near term.
Machado, who fled Venezuela in a daring escape by sea in December, is competing for Trump’s ear with members of the Venezuelan government and seeks to secure a role in the country’s future government.
After the US captured longtime Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro this month, opposition figures, members of the Venezuelan diaspora and politicians from the US and Latin America expressed hope that Venezuela would begin the process of democratization.
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“I know the president was looking forward to this meeting and hoped it would be a good, positive discussion with Ms. Machado, who is really a remarkable and courageous voice for many of the people of Venezuela,” Leavitt told reporters during a briefing.
Hopes
Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy, one of the senators who met with Machado, said the opposition leader had told senators that repression in Venezuela was no different now than it was under Maduro. Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, is a “smooth operator” who is becoming more established every day thanks to Trump’s support, he said.
“I hope the election happens, but I’m skeptical,” said Murphy, of Connecticut.
For now, Trump said he is focused on rebuilding Venezuela’s economy and securing U.S. access to the country’s oil.
On several occasions, Trump praised Rodríguez, Maduro’s second-in-command, who became Venezuela’s leader after his capture. In an interview with Reuters on Wednesday, Trump said: “She’s been really good dealing with.”
Separately, in Venezuela, Rodríguez said he would propose reforms in his country’s oil sector.
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Machado was banned from running in Venezuela’s 2024 presidential elections by a high court filled with Maduro’s allies. Outside observers widely believe that Edmundo González, an opposition figure backed by Machado, won by a substantial margin, but Maduro claimed victory and retained power.
Although the current government has released dozens of political prisoners in recent days, outside groups and advocates have said the scale of the releases has been exaggerated by Caracas.
Asked on Wednesday if he wanted Machado to give him the award, Trump told Reuters: “No, I didn’t say that. She won the Nobel Peace Prize.”
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The Norwegian Nobel Institute said the prize cannot be transferred, shared or revoked.
