US President Donald Trump has met Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado at the White House, underscoring a US approach that pairs engagement with opposition figures with sustained pressure on Venezuela’s interim government through oil sanctions, maritime controls, and carefully calibrated economic incentives.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday that the meeting was underway as she exited the Oval Office, calling Machado "a remarkable and brave voice for many of the people of Venezuela."
"The president was looking forward to this meeting and expecting a frank and positive discussion," Leavitt said. "He wants to hear directly from Ms. Machado about the realities on the ground in Venezuela and what is taking place in the country."
Leavitt added that administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, "have been in constant communication" with Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodriguez in the wake of President Nicolas Maduro's abduction, describing the interim government as being "extremely cooperative" with the US.
‘Good and positive discussion’
"They have thus far met all of the demands and requests of the United States and of the president," said Leavitt, pointing to the sale of $500 million worth of Venezuelan oil and Caracas' release of political prisoners.
"The president likes what he's seeing and will expect that cooperation to continue."
Trump, who hosted Machado for a closed-door lunch, has previously dismissed her credibility to run Venezuela.
Machado told Fox News host Sean Hannity last week that she hoped to say to Trump in person that the Venezuelan people “want to give it (Nobel Prize) to him and share it with him.”
Shortly afterwards, the Norwegian Nobel Institute issued a statement stressing that its prizes “cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred.”
After her meeting with Trump, Machado didn’t hear or chose not to answer shouted questions in English on how her went — or if she had given him her Nobel Peace Prize.
But she did hug supporters as she walked to a waiting SUV, some of whom shouted her name, waved Venezuelan flags and chanted the country’s name.
In response, she said, "Gracias."
Machado was heading to Capitol Hill for meetings with senators.
Her trip to Washington came as acting President Delcy Rodriguez, who was Maduro’s No. 2, delivered her first state of the union speech since the US toppled her predecessor less than two weeks ago.
Trump and his top advisers have signalled their willingness to work with Rodriguez, who was Maduro’s vice president.
