By Rosemary
President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Thursday at the White House with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, a high-profile encounter that underscores the uncertainty surrounding Washington’s approach to Venezuela following the dramatic removal of longtime leader Nicolás Maduro.
The meeting comes less than two weeks after U.S. forces carried out a surprise operation in Caracas, detaining Maduro and his wife at a fortified compound and transporting them to New York to face drug trafficking charges. The operation ended years of Maduro’s rule, which had been marked by international isolation, economic collapse and widespread allegations of human rights abuses.
Machado, whose political movement is widely viewed by independent observers as having won Venezuela’s disputed 2024 presidential election, has emerged as a symbol of democratic resistance. Yet her visit to the White House follows public remarks by Trump that cast doubt on her political standing at home and raised questions about how fully his administration intends to support a transition led by the opposition.
“She’s a very nice woman,” Trump said earlier this week when asked about Machado. “I’ve seen her on television. I think we’re just going to talk basics.”
Behind the scenes, Trump and senior advisers have signaled a readiness to work with acting President Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s former vice president, who remains at the helm of Venezuela’s government apparatus along with other figures from the ousted leader’s inner circle. Rodríguez has taken a notably softer tone toward Washington in recent days and has expressed openness to cooperation on issues including migration and the release of detainees.
Rodríguez has also overseen the recent freeing of several prisoners detained under Maduro’s rule, including multiple American citizens, in what officials describe as confidence-building steps encouraged by the Trump administration. Trump said Wednesday that he held a lengthy and productive conversation with Rodríguez, their first direct contact since Maduro’s removal.
“We had a call, a long call. We discussed a lot of things,” Trump told reporters. “And I think we’re getting along very well with Venezuela.”
The apparent warming toward Rodríguez has left Machado increasingly sidelined, despite her long history as the most recognizable face of Venezuela’s opposition. Over the past year, she worked to cultivate ties with influential Republicans in Washington, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, betting that close alignment with the U.S. government would strengthen her hand in a post-Maduro transition. She is also expected to meet with members of the U.S. Senate on Thursday afternoon.
Trump, however, moved quickly to distance himself from Machado in the immediate aftermath of Maduro’s capture. Speaking publicly just hours after the operation, he questioned her ability to govern, saying she lacked sufficient support and respect within Venezuela.
Machado has responded cautiously, avoiding direct confrontation with Trump while emphasizing shared goals of democracy and stability. After receiving the Nobel Peace Prize last year for her nonviolent campaign against authoritarian rule, she publicly thanked Trump and offered to share the honor with him, a gesture that was later rejected by the Nobel Institute.
For much of the past year, Machado’s location has been kept secret. She went into hiding after being briefly detained by security forces in Caracas amid intensifying pressure on opposition leaders. She resurfaced briefly in December in Oslo, where her daughter accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on her behalf.
An industrial engineer and the daughter of a prominent steel magnate, Machado entered national politics in the early 2000s. In 2004, she co-founded the civic group Súmate, which spearheaded an effort to recall then-President Hugo Chávez through a referendum. The campaign failed, and she and other organizers were later charged with conspiracy, accusations they said were politically motivated.
She again drew the ire of the ruling establishment a year later by traveling to Washington to meet President George W. Bush, a visit that produced an enduring image of the two shaking hands in the Oval Office and cemented her reputation among Chávez’s allies as aligned with U.S. interests.
Nearly two decades later, Machado galvanized millions of Venezuelans in an effort to block Maduro from securing another term in the 2024 election. Independent tallies and international observers cited widespread irregularities and evidence suggesting an opposition victory, but election authorities loyal to the ruling party declared Maduro the winner. The announcement sparked mass protests that were met with a sweeping and often violent crackdown by state security forces.
As Machado prepares for her meeting with Trump, the future of Venezuela’s political transition remains uncertain, caught between an opposition figure long associated with democratic aspirations and an interim government still dominated by figures from the previous regime, now seeking accommodation with Washington.
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