Opposition Leader Machado Visits the White House
Presents Trump with the Coveted "Nobel Peace Prize Medal"
Democratic Senator: "Skeptical About the Possibility of Elections"
Maria Corina Machado, Venezuelan opposition leader and last year's Nobel Peace Prize laureate, is seen greeting supporters surrounded in front of the White House on the 15th (local time). Photo by Reuters Yonhap News
As President Donald Trump has thrown his support behind Venezuela's interim government, Maria Corina Machado, the opposition leader and last year's Nobel Peace Prize laureate, visited the White House on the 15th (local time). She also employed a strategy to win favor by presenting President Trump with the Nobel Peace Prize medal that he had coveted.
According to Reuters, after the meeting, Machado told reporters that her talks with President Trump were "excellent," but declined to reveal specific details. It was anticipated that Machado would seek President Trump's support so that the opposition could exert influence over Venezuela's future governance.
Machado also revealed that she gave President Trump the Nobel Peace Prize medal she received last year for her contributions to the pro-democracy movement. She explained that the gesture was meant to recognize Trump's commitment to the freedom of the Venezuelan people. However, even though Machado handed over the medal, the ownership of the award does not change.
Reuters pointed out that this gesture appears to be part of an effort to secure political influence over the future direction of her country. Previously, President Trump had expressed hopes of winning the Nobel Prize by mentioning his mediation efforts in eight conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine war, but ultimately failed to win the award.
However, it appears that there has been no significant change in President Trump's position of supporting Delsy Rodriguez, the current interim president of Venezuela. Having directly intervened in Venezuela's affairs and exerted the greatest influence over the formation of the next government, President Trump has continued to question Rodriguez's popular support and leadership as head of state, arguing that the Venezuelan people do not support her.
Just one day before Machado's visit to the White House, President Trump spoke by phone with Interim President Rodriguez and predicted that cooperation between the United States and Venezuela "will be great for everyone."
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt also mentioned during a briefing while the White House meeting was underway that Interim President Rodriguez had cooperated with the United States on issues such as oil sales, the release of political prisoners, and the release of detained Americans. She added, "The President is pleased and expects this cooperation to continue." However, regarding the formation of the next government, including the holding of democratic elections, she stated that "it is premature" and did not present a specific roadmap.
Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat who met with Machado that day, told Reuters that Machado explained to him that "the current repression is no different from what occurred during Maduro's rule." Regarding Interim President Rodriguez, he described her as "a seasoned politician consolidating power with Trump's support," and added, "I hope elections will be held, but I am skeptical."
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