Venezuela’s Machado and Trump in ‘Positive’ Meeting at White House
Venezuelan opposition figure Maria Corina Machado held talks with President Donald Trump on Thursday in a meeting the White House described as constructive, even as Trump has publicly questioned her political standing at home and mused aloud about whether he, rather than Machado, deserved a Nobel Peace Prize.
Trump has repeatedly said that Machado lacks broad backing among Venezuelans following the removal of longtime leader Nicolas Maduro, and he has instead expressed support for Maduro’s deputy, Delcy Rodriguez, who now serves as interim president.
Seeking to maintain a favorable relationship with Trump, the 58-year-old opposition leader has gone so far as to suggest sharing her Nobel Peace Prize with him. Trump has indicated that such a gesture could occur when the two meet.
After the White House meeting concluded, Machado emerged to greet enthusiastic supporters gathered outside, celebrating her long campaign against Maduro’s leftist government.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump had been eager for the lunch meeting, their first since the U.S. military operation on January 3 that resulted in Maduro’s capture.
“He’s expecting it to be a good and positive discussion with Ms. Machado, who is really a remarkable and brave voice for many of the people of Venezuela,” Leavitt told reporters as the meeting began.
She added that Trump would also be “talking to her about the realities on the ground in the country and what is taking place.”
Despite the meeting, the president has continued to signal his preference for working with interim president Rodriguez, particularly after announcing that Caracas had granted the United States access to Venezuelan oil.
“The president likes what he’s seeing” from the interim government, Leavitt said. She added that Trump was “committed to hopefully seeing elections in Venezuela one day,” without offering a timeline.
Machado was expected to use the meeting to press Trump to refocus attention on a transition to democratic rule.
Addressing the Nobel Peace Prize she received for her years opposing Maduro, Trump said he understood that she “wants to” give it to him, adding in a Fox News interview that it “would be a great honor.”
The Norwegian Nobel Committee responded by making clear that such a transfer is not possible.
“Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others. The decision is final and stands for all time,” the committee said in a post on X.
“A medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot.”
Machado traveled to Oslo last month to accept the award after escaping Venezuela by boat, and she has remained outside the country in what amounts to exile.
Venezuela’s opposition maintains that Maduro fraudulently won the 2024 election against Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, the candidate backed by Machado’s party, allegations that have been echoed by Washington.
Since Maduro’s arrest, Trump has said the United States would “run” Venezuela, though he has appeared willing to allow Rodriguez to continue leading the country.
On Wednesday, Trump described Rodriguez as a “terrific person”. Rodriguez said the conversation was “productive and courteous,” marked by “mutual respect.”
U.S. policy has largely centered on economic interests, particularly securing access to Venezuela’s oil resources.
American forces this week intercepted a sixth oil tanker as part of efforts to assert control over Venezuelan crude exports.
According to the U.S. military, Marines and sailors boarded the tanker Veronica in the Caribbean during a pre-dawn operation that concluded without resistance. Video released online showed troops descending onto the ship’s deck.
In a separate development, a U.S. official told AFP on Thursday that the first American-arranged sale of Venezuelan oil, valued at roughly $500 million, has been completed, though the buyer was not named.
Washington has also praised the recent release of dozens of political detainees, while acknowledging that hundreds of prisoners remain incarcerated.
The repercussions of the rapid U.S. operation that removed Maduro continue to be felt across the region.
Cuba on Thursday honored 32 soldiers killed during the raid, including members of Maduro’s security detail, at a memorial ceremony attended by revolutionary leader Raul Castro.
{Matzav.com}
