Washington, Jan 09 — US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado is expected to visit Washington, DC, next week, and he anticipates meeting her during the trip.
In an interview on Fox News’ Hannity programme, Trump said he understood Machado would arrive sometime next week and that he looked forward to “saying hello” to her. The meeting would mark the first between the US president and Machado.
Machado, a leading figure in Venezuela’s pro-democracy movement and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has been on the global stage since the recent US-backed operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Despite Trump’s earlier comments questioning her level of support within Venezuela, the anticipated visit and meeting signal continued US engagement in the country’s political transition.
Trump has described Venezuela’s democratic systems as broken and emphasised the need for extensive rebuilding, linking political reconstruction with economic and energy sector recovery. He also noted plans to meet oil executives at the White House to discuss restoring Venezuela’s oil infrastructure, highlighting potential US private sector involvement in the country’s post-crisis revival.