Trump meets Venezuelan opposition leader Machado at White House, stance unchanged

US President Donald Trump met with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado on Thursday, a high-stakes encounter that could affect how the US president seeks to shape the South American country's political future.

The lunch meeting marked the first time the two met in person. After departing the White House around 2:40 p.m. local time (1940 GMT), Machado told reporters the encounter was "great." She did not otherwise comment on the substance of the conversation, which appeared to last slightly over an hour.

While the visit was ongoing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump had been looking forward to meeting Machado, but that he stood by his "realistic" assessment that she did not currently have the support needed to lead the country in the short term.

Machado, who fled Venezuela in a daring seaborne escape in December, is competing for Trump's ear with members of Venezuela's government and seeking to ensure she has a role in governing the nation going forward.

After the US captured Venezuela's longtime leader, Nicolas Maduro, in a snatch-and-grab operation this month, various opposition figures, members of Venezuela's diaspora and politicians throughout the US and Latin America have expressed hope that Venezuela will begin the process of democratisation.

"I know the president was looking forward to this meeting, and he was expecting it to be a good and positive discussion with Miss Machado, who is really a remarkable and brave voice for many of the people of Venezuela," Leavitt told reporters during a briefing as the meeting was ongoing.

"So the president looks forward to obviously talking to her about the realities on the ground in the country and what is taking place."

HOPES OF A MOVE TO DEMOCRACY

Trump has said he is focused on economically rebuilding Venezuela and securing US access to the country's oil. The day after the January 3 operation, he expressed doubts that Machado had the backing needed to return to the country and govern, telling reporters, "She doesn't have the support within or the respect within the country."

Trump has on several occasions praised Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuela's interim president, telling Reuters in an interview on Wednesday, "she's been very good to deal with."

Machado was banned from running in Venezuela's 2024 presidential election by a top court stacked with government allies. Maduro claimed victory, but outside observers widely believe Edmundo Gonzalez, an opposition figure backed by Machado, in fact won more votes by a substantial margin.

While the current government has freed dozens of political prisoners in recent days, outside groups and advocates have said the scale of the releases has been exaggerated by Caracas.

A NOBEL FOR TRUMP?

One potential topic of conversation for Thursday's White House meeting was the Nobel Peace Prize, which was awarded to Machado last month, a snub to Trump, who has long sought the award. Machado had suggested she would give the prize to the US president for having deposed Maduro, though the Norwegian Nobel Institute has said the prize cannot be transferred, shared or revoked.

Upon exiting her meeting with Trump, Machado declined to say if she had presented the prize to the president.

Asked on Wednesday if he wanted Machado to give him the prize, Trump told Reuters: "No, I didn't say that. She won the Nobel Peace Prize."

"She's a very nice woman. I think we're just going to talk basics," Trump said.

Machado is due to meet with a bipartisan group of senior senators on Capitol Hill on Thursday afternoon. The opposition leader has generally found more enthusiastic allies in Congress than in the White House, with some lawmakers having expressed concerns about Trump's dismissals of her ability to govern.

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