Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, will meet President Donald Trump on Thursday. A senior White House official shared this news with CNN.
Machado’s visit comes after Trump declined to support her following U.S. military strikes in Caracas and the capture of Nicolás Maduro, the country’s leader. Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, has now taken over as acting president.
After the operation on January 3, Trump said it would be difficult for Machado to lead Venezuela because she does not have the support or respect of the people.
Despite this, Machado has something Trump desires – a Nobel Prize. She has said she would offer her prize to Trump, who expressed that it would be an “honor” to receive it. However, the Norwegian Nobel Institute stated that the prize cannot be transferred.
When asked on Friday if accepting Machado’s prize would change his view of her role in Venezuela, Trump did not respond directly.
“I need to talk to her. She might be involved in some way. I think it’s great that she wants to come in. That’s what I understand the reason is,” Trump told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins during a meeting with oil executives at the White House.
“I can’t think of anyone in history who deserves the Nobel Prize more than me. I don’t want to brag, but nobody else has settled wars,” Trump stated.
On Sunday, Trump said he is open to meeting with Rodriguez “at some point.” He mentioned, “We’re working really well with the leadership, and we’ll see how it all unfolds,” while speaking to reporters on Air Force One.
Trump Canceled Second Wave of Attacks on Venezuela
Last week, Trump posted on Truth Social that he was canceling a second wave of attacks on Venezuela. He made this decision because Venezuela cooperated with the U.S. in the release of political prisoners.
In a meeting with oil executives on Friday, he called Venezuela an ally “right now” and said he does not think another attack is needed. Trump has claimed that the U.S. would “run” Venezuela, suggesting this could last for years. In a recent interview with The New York Times, he said, “Only time will tell.”
However, his plan for a large new drilling campaign, part of his vision to rebuild the country and use its resources, has met with hesitation. After the lengthy White House meeting, Trump and his aides did not secure any major commitments from companies to invest billions. The CEO of ExxonMobil called Venezuela “uninvestible.”
Leave a Reply