Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said she presented US president Donald Trump her Nobel Peace Prize medal during a White House meeting on Thursday.
The meeting was part of her push for greater influence in the wake of Nicolas Maduro’s ousting at the hands of American troops.
Afterwards, Ms Machado said the meeting was “great” but did not answer reporters’ questions as to whether Mr Trump accepted it.
Thursday’s meeting was seen as offering Ms Machado a chance to bolster her standing with Mr Trump following the US special-forces raid that captured Maduro on January 3rd.
Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado carries a gift bag with President Donald Trump’s signature on it outside the White House. Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Rather than installing Machado atop a new government in Venezuela, Mr Trump has so far thrown his support behind interim president Delcy Rodríguez.
The White House said president Trump made a “realistic assessment” of popular support for Ms Machado and gave no updated timetable for when elections might be held in the South American country.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump was expecting a “good and positive discussion” with Machado, who “is really a remarkable and brave voice for many of the people of Venezuela.”
He has also, however, cast doubt on Ms Machado’s ability to run the country.
Those remarks stunned opposition leaders and Ms Machado’s allies abroad, including some Republican lawmakers.
In a further sign that Ms Machado may struggle to gain more power in Venezuela, Ms Leavitt said that Trump was pleased so far with how interim president Delcy Rodríguez and her government have run Venezuela.
“They have thus far met all of the demands and requests of the United States and of the president,” Ms Leavitt told reporters. “The president likes what he’s seeing and will expect that co-operation to continue.”
Mr Trump spoke to Rodriguez on Wednesday, and US officials were expected to meet one of her envoys in Washington later on Thursday.
Ms Machado visit to the White House comes less than two weeks after Mr Maduro was captured and brought to a New York jail to face federal charges for alleged narco-trafficking.
Hours after that operation, Mr Trump told reporters he thought it would be difficult for Ms Machado to run Venezuela, saying he didn’t believe she had “support” or “respect” in the country – even though she won more than 90 per cent of the vote in an opposition primary in 2023.
In the days since, Mr Trump has announced plans for Caracas to turn over billions of dollars in crude oil.
Mr Trump has also pressured major oil companies to invest in the country to rejuvenate its energy infrastructure. He praised Ms Rodriguez for freeing some political prisoners, including close aides to Machado.
The White House has said the US will run the country until new presidential elections can take place, but has not offered a timeline for that development, while declining to back Ms Machado as the next leader.
Ms Machado has sought to court Trump’s backing, including by trying to heal a rift over the Nobel, a prize Trump has long coveted.
Maria Corina Machado speaks with US Senate minority whip Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, and other senators at the US Capitol. Photograph: Drew Angerer/AFP/Getty Images
Her recent comments that she wanted to present him with the award prompted the Norwegian Nobel Institute to say that the award cannot be shared or transferred.
Mr Trump said it would be a “great honour” to accept the award from her, but in an interview with Reuters on Wednesday said he did not want her to present him with the prize.
“I didn’t say that. She won the Nobel Peace Prize,” Mr Trump said, while adding that he was “hearing” she might. “I shouldn’t be the one to say,” he added.
Ms Machado was also scheduled to to meet lawmakers on Capitol Hill and hold an event with the Venezuelan diaspora.
She met on Monday with Pope Leo XIV, with the pontiff voicing “deep concern” over the US raid to capture Mr Maduro in Caracas and calling for a peaceful political solution. – Bloomberg and Reuters