Trump to meet Machado next week

US President Donald Trump has indicated that he will meet Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado in Washington next week, the first such meeting between the two leaders.

In an interview on Fox News’ Hannity programme on Thursday, Trump was asked whether he plans to meet Machado following recent US strikes in Venezuela that led to the capture of its president, Nicolas Maduro.

“Well, I understand she’s coming in next week sometime, and I look forward to saying hello to her,” Trump said.


This will be Trump’s first meeting with Machado, who said earlier this week that she had not spoken to the US president since winning the Nobel Peace Prize in October.

Trump also told Hannity that it will take time for Venezuela, now led by interim acting President Delcy Rodríguez, to reach a point where it can hold elections. “We have to rebuild the country. They couldn’t have an election … They wouldn’t even know how to have an election right now,” he said.

Venezuela, a major oil producer, has become a focus for the Trump administration’s efforts to revive its oil industry. Trump said he will meet oil executives at the White House and expects US companies to play a central role in rebuilding Venezuela’s oil infrastructure.

Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and long‑time critic of Maduro, has publicly praised Trump’s actions against the Venezuelan leader but has previously acknowledged she had not spoken with him since October’s award announcement.