Trump Welcomes Venezuelan Opposition Leader María Corina Machado to the White House

Wed Feb 18 2026 02:16:54 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a significant meeting, President Trump will host María Corina Machado, Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, amid ongoing tensions in Venezuela following Nicolás Maduro's ouster.

María Corina Machado, a prominent Venezuelan opposition figure, is set to meet President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday. Although Machado recently claimed victory in a contested election, the U.S. has yet to officially endorse her leadership, favoring Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro's former VP. Machado's visit comes after recent U.S. military intervention in Venezuela. She aims to express gratitude to Trump and advocate for her coalition's governance claims in Venezuela. The meeting highlights the complexity of U.S.-Venezuela relations amid political upheaval.

Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado will meet President Donald Trump on Thursday, the White House has confirmed.

The visit comes just weeks after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was seized in Caracas by US forces. However, Trump has yet to endorse Machado, whose movement claimed victory in the widely contested 2024 elections, as the new leader of Venezuela.

Instead, the U.S. has backed Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro's former vice-president. Machado expressed her hope to thank Trump personally for the action against Maduro and even suggested giving him the Nobel Prize, an idea Trump called a great honour, though the Nobel Committee clarified that the prize is non-transferable.

Earlier, Trump had expressed dissatisfaction with Machado's acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize, a recognition he has long desired. When asked if Machado's accolade might change his view of her role in Venezuela, he remarked, She might be involved in some aspect of it. He acknowledged Machado as a nice woman but claimed she lacked respect and support within her own country.

Current U.S. support remains aligned with Rodríguez, whom Trump describes as an ally, mentioning her cooperation with the United States. Machado, on the other hand, insists that her coalition should indeed govern the nation, criticizing Rodríguez as one of the main architects of repression in Venezuela.

Machado affirmed that US military action is vital for restoring democracy and prosperity in Venezuela, whereas Rodríguez countered Trump’s assertions by stating that the Venezuelan government remains in control of the country.