Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado is scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump on Thursday, as confirmed by the White House.
The meeting comes shortly after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was forcibly taken from Caracas by U.S. forces. Despite these events, Trump has not officially endorsed Machado, opting instead to support Delcy Rodríguez, the former vice-president under Maduro, who was claimed by the U.S. to be the interim leader.
Machado expressed her desire to thank Trump personally for the actions taken against Maduro, suggesting that she would like to bestow her Nobel Prize upon him. Though Trump acknowledged this gesture as a great honor, the Nobel Committee clarified that awards are non-transferable.
Additionally, Trump has been vocal about his concerns regarding Machado's acceptance of the Nobel Prize—an accolade he has aspired to achieve. He remarked that Machado might hold an involvement in Venezuelan affairs but previously critiqued her lack of respect and support within her own country.
Trump has characterized Delcy Rodríguez as an ally and has stated that she and her team have shown cooperation with the United States. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated this sentiment, indicating a preference for Rodríguez over Machado in terms of U.S. diplomatic backing.
Contrarily, Machado argues that her coalition should be entrusted with governing Venezuela, dismissing Rodríguez as trustworthy. She referred to Rodríguez's role in oppression within Venezuela during an interview, emphasizing a unanimous awareness of her actions among Venezuelans both domestically and abroad.
With the ongoing complexities of Venezuelan politics, Machado has deemed the U.S. military action as a major step towards restoring prosperity and rule of law and democracy in Venezuela. However, Rodríguez has countered Trump's assertions about external control of Venezuela's governance, reinforcing that the sovereignty of her government remains intact.
