WASHINGTON — Venezuelan opposition chief María Corina Machado mentioned Thursday that she “introduced” her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Trump throughout a non-public assembly on the White Home, however he has not modified his view that she doesn’t have the assist to steer her nation.
Machado, who gained the prize final yr for her work to advertise democracy in Venezuela, mentioned she introduced the 18-carat gold medal to Trump as a “recognition of his distinctive dedication to our freedom.” It’s unclear whether or not the president, who has been fixated on getting the prize in latest yr, accepted it. The Nobel Peace Middle has maintained the award can’t be transferred.
The gesture was made on the day the 2 leaders met for the primary time on the White Home. The extremely anticipated get-together got here as america has allowed high deputies of deposed president Nicolás Maduro’s regime to stay in cost as Trump oversees the transition of energy.
White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt informed reporters that Trump went into the assembly with none expectations, aside from to have a “frank and optimistic dialogue about what’s going down in Venezuela.”
Leavitt added that Trump continues to say that Machado doesn’t have the “assist” or “respect” to steer Venezuela, an evaluation he first made on the day of Maduro’s seize to the shock of many Venezuelans.
“At this second in time, his opinion on that matter has not modified,” Leavitt mentioned at a information briefing.
Whereas Leavitt described Machado as a “exceptional and courageous voice for most of the folks in Venezuela,” she additionally mentioned america had discovered an “extraordinarily cooperative” associate in Maduro’s handpicked vp, Delcy Rodríguez, who’s serving as appearing president of Venezuela.
“They’ve met all the calls for and requests of america and the president,” Leavitt mentioned, noting that the Venezuelan authorities already agreed to launch political prisoners and reached a $100-billion deal to rebuild Venezuela’s power sector.
As Machado left the White Home, the scope of the discussions between her and the president remained unclear. She didn’t take questions from the reporters, however just a few of them had been capable of seize a second on video when she was greeted by supporters exterior the White Home. She informed them: “Know that we are able to rely on President Trump for Venezuela’s freedom.”
She then left to satisfy with a bipartisan group of U.S. senators on Capitol Hill. It was after this assembly that Machado informed reporters she had introduced the medal to the president.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) was certainly one of 14 senators who met with Machado. After the assembly Scott mentioned Machado was “very appreciative of the U.S. navy” capturing Maduro and was pushing for “free and honest elections and free press.”
“Now we have bought to proceed to know that Delcy Rodriguez is just not the chief, she was by no means elected as a president, she remains to be the chief of drug cartels,” Scott mentioned. “We’d like to ensure we maintain her accountable.”
It seems unlikely that a lot will change for Machado after assembly with Trump, who largely has sidelined her and Edmundo González Urrutia, the opposition candidate who gained the 2024 presidential election that was stolen by Maduro.
Days after Maduro was captured, Machado informed CBS Information the folks of Venezuela had “already chosen” González Urrutia because the rightful chief of the nation and that they had been “prepared and prepared to serve our folks, as we’ve got been mandated.”
Trump, nonetheless, has maintained that earlier than elections can happen in Venezuela, america must “repair” the nation.
Requested if the president was dedicated to holding elections in Venezuela, Leavitt mentioned Trump hopes to see “elections in Venezuela sooner or later” however didn’t have a timeline for them but.
Trump says he’s completely happy along with his administration’s working relationship with Rodríguez. At a White Home occasion Wednesday, Trump referred to as Rodríguez a “terrific individual.”
The reward got here after Trump mentioned he had a “superb name” together with her that morning that left him feeling hopeful that america and Venezuela might have a “spectacular” working relationship.
Rodriguez, in flip, used her first state of the union deal with Thursday to advertise oil trade reforms that might drawn in overseas funding, which is according to the Trump administration’s targets. She additionally criticized the Washington officers and mentioned there was a “stain on our relationships” however mentioned she was open to strengthening the connection.
“Allow us to not be afraid of diplomacy,” with the U.S., Rodriguez mentioned in Venezuela.
