María Corina Machado, on her meeting with Trump: ‘Venezuela will be the best ally of the United States’

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has insisted that her movement will play a role in Venezuela’s future, and that after an “orderly transition,” her country “will be the best ally the United States has ever had.” Regarding the United States’ support for continuity in Venezuela, as represented by interim president Delcy Rodríguez, Macahdo argued that “it’s not a choice between her and me, but between the cartel and justice. I am just one person within a larger movement.”

The politician and activist — who won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize —appeared before the Washington press on Friday at the headquarters of the ultra‑conservative think tank Heritage Foundation, the day after her meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House — a highly anticipated event that the U.S. government tried to keep low‑profile and that left more questions than answers.

The opposition leader — who has expressed her intention to return to Venezuela as soon as possible — asserted that she has the “unwavering” support of the United States for her country. “Venezuela will be free, let no one doubt it, and that will be thanks to President Donald Trump. If anything has united the people of the United States, it is Venezuela.” She downplayed Washington’s support for Rodríguez’s continued leadership, arguing that she “is only following orders.”

Rodríguez is “not comfortable” in her current role, said Machado. “There are things Rodríguez can give up, because she is terrified of President Trump. But others she will never be able to achieve: trust, the rule of law, reconciliation, citizen participation, and support. Therefore, this is not sustainable, and she knows it.”

Machado’s decision to gift Trump her Nobel Peace Prize medal, which she received in Oslo last December — a move that has sparked outrage among the Norwegian organizers of the award — overshadowed her meeting with Trump. After the meeting, it was clear that the president had succeeded in acquiring a medal he coveted — not the prize itself, which is non-transferable. Far less clear was what Machado had achieved: while the two spoke for two hours in the Oval Office and the adjoining dining room, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt essentially stated that “realities on the ground” meant that Trump would continue supporting Delcy Rodríguez to lead Venezuela, not the Nobel laureate.

“I didn’t come here looking for anything for myself,” Machado explained at her press conference, when asked what she had gained from her conversation at the White House. “I came representing the people of Venezuela, who gave us a mandate [in the 2023 opposition primaries and the 2024 presidential elections]. I came to receive the message that we have the support of the United States for a very complex process.” A complex process where, she admitted, “there may be things we didn’t expect, or that we don’t like.”

The opposition leader declined to reveal the content of her conversation with Trump, calling it “a private conversation.” However, she did share her feelings about the meeting: “I felt enormous respect for the people of Venezuela when I entered the Oval Office. We discussed all the issues with great respect, but also with honesty and frankness. I was struck by the concern he conveyed about the situation of Venezuelans: the young people, the children, the families, the healthcare system. I was able to have a conversation with a human being. I left truly convinced that what we need is in the White House and will serve as an example for other world leaders.”

Machado also emphasized that “this is a process we are part of and to which we are contributing.” “We are prepared to do whatever is necessary, as the legitimate government, at this stage. We have a great deal of work ahead of us: preparing our teams around the world and in Venezuela to take charge of the government when the time comes.”

The meeting at the White House took place a day after the Republican spoke by phone with Rodríguez, who he described as a “terrific person.” Rodríguez has been in charge of Venezuela after a U.S. military operation captured Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Both face charges of narcoterrorism and trafficking of cocaine and weapons.

The meeting between Trump and Machado — which she had worked tirelessly to secure in recent days — also took place as the White House spokesperson briefed reporters in the same venue, saying that the U.S. president has not changed his view of Machado’s ability to lead the transition (“she doesn’t have the support within or the respect within the country,” Trump said on the day of Maduro’s capture), and again praising Rodríguez’s willingness to cooperate. According to Trump, the interim president is working “very well” with Washington, as it oversees South American country — and keeps a close eye on its vast oil reserves.

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