Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado will meet President Donald Trump on Thursday, the White House has confirmed.
The visit comes just weeks after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was seized in Caracas by US forces. However, Trump has notably refrained from endorsing Machado, whose coalition recently claimed victory in disputed 2024 elections, instead choosing to support Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro's former vice-president.
Machado expressed her hope to thank Trump personally for the actions taken against Maduro, suggesting she aims to award him a Nobel Prize, a gesture Trump has called a great honor, despite the Nobel Committee clarifying that such a prize is non-transferable.
Earlier in the month, following Maduro's ouster, Trump had expressed concerns regarding Machado's acceptance of the Nobel Prize, stating that she may need to prove her standing among her countrymen, implying that Machado lacked respect within Venezuela despite referring to her as a very nice woman.
Machado has been firm in her position, arguing that her coalition ought to lead the country and asserting that Rodríguez is untrusted, labeling her as one of the main figures responsible for repression in Venezuela. Machado praised recent U.S. military actions, branding them a significant stride toward restoring democracy and rule of law in Venezuela.
On the other hand, Rodríguez has contested claims of U.S. dominance over Venezuelan governance, declaring that her administration is independent and dismissing any external influence as a threat to national sovereignty.
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