Trump to meet Venezuela's Machado on Thursday: White House official
Despite the scheduled meeting, Trump has been critical of Machado’s standing in Venezuela, previously stating that she “doesn’t have the support” or “the respect” within her own country
The White House confirmed that Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado will meet with US President Donald Trump on Thursday.
The meeting follows several developments in the relationship between the two leaders. Machado expressed her desire to meet Trump to personally thank him for the military action against Nicolás Maduro and to offer him her Nobel Peace Prize, says the BBC.
Trump has described this gesture as "a great honour," though he had previously expressed displeasure that she received the award, which he has long coveted.
Despite the scheduled meeting, Trump has been critical of Machado's standing in Venezuela, previously stating that she "doesn't have the support" or "the respect" within her own country.
Trump indicated that the primary reason for the meeting is her desire to "come in" and speak with him, likely to discuss the future of the Venezuelan government, as Machado continues to maintain that her coalition should "absolutely" be in charge of the nation.
The meeting comes while the United States officially continues to back Delcy Rodríguez as the interim president, citing her team's cooperation with US officials.
The planned visit underscores Machado's effort to use the prestige of the Nobel Prize to gain support from a skeptical US president.
