The Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, María Corina Machado, is set to meet with former US President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday to discuss the oil-rich nation’s future following the capture of Nicolás Maduro. However, Machado’s standing with the Trump administration remains uncertain, as the White House has largely sidelined her in favour of recognising Maduro’s former vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, as Venezuela’s interim leader.
Many had expected Machado to take charge after an elite US military team seized Maduro in a pre-dawn raid on 3 January and transported him to a New York City jail. But the White House has been hesitant to fully embrace Machado, with Trump publicly questioning her domestic standing and suggesting she lacks the “respect” needed to govern Venezuela.
Machado, a 58-year-old former legislator, won a primary to run against Maduro in 2024 but was blocked by the government from doing so. Her replacement, the retired diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia, was recognised by Washington as the legitimate winner of the presidential election after the opposition presented strong evidence that Maduro had lost the race by a wide margin.
In an interview with Fox News last week, Machado said she wanted to “share” her Nobel Peace Prize with Trump – an idea that was rebuffed by the organisers of the award, who clarified that the prize is non-transferable. Still, Trump told reporters it would be a “great honor” to accept the prize, as he has frequently expressed frustration at being overlooked for the Nobel.
The Trump administration has forged a working relationship with Rodríguez, the acting president, and has announced an agreement with Venezuela’s interim leaders that would provide up to 50 million barrels of crude oil to the US. Trump has also signed an executive order to “safeguard” Venezuelan oil revenues in US-controlled accounts.
Whether Machado can persuade Trump to reconsider her role in Venezuela’s transition may depend less on her vision for the country than on the political dynamics within the Trump administration. A source close to the White House told the Washington Post that Machado’s acceptance of the Nobel Prize, despite dedicating it in part to Trump, has hurt her standing with the administration.
As Machado prepares to meet with Trump, she will need to navigate the complex political landscape and find a way to assert her leadership role in Venezuela’s future, even as the White House continues to work with Rodríguez and other interim figures.
