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Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado’s allies are regrouping to boost her prospects of ultimately leading her country — which includes winning the endorsement that President Donald Trump has so far withheld.
Many of Machado’s pro-Trump backers were surprised when the president, soon after ousting Nicolás Maduro, told reporters that Machado lacks the internal “support” or “respect” needed to lead Venezuela. While her circle had worked for months to cultivate good relationships with Trump’s network, they’re now redoubling their lobbying.
“We have a different assessment of her capabilities, that’s all,” Rep. Carlos Giménez, R-Fla., said of himself and fellow Florida Republican Reps. Mario Díaz-Balart and María Salazar. “And it’s just now a matter of convincing the president of her capabilities.”
“I don’t think I’ve heard of anybody not advocating for her from the Hill,” Gimenez added, describing Machado as “anxious” to get started in the country. “I think people understand that she’s very capable; she’s very courageous; and there’s a reason why she won the Nobel Peace Prize.”
Even as Washington tries to work with interim president Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro’s former No. 2, Machado’s camp sees plenty of reason to be confident that she can ultimately get back into Trump’s good graces. After all, the president is known to make allies out of people whom he didn’t initially champion; that list runs the gamut from Senate Majority Leader John Thune to Lindsey Graham to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
And following Trump’s dismissal of her standing in her country, Machado is employing a strategy that’s succeeded with Trump in the past: Flattery. She’s said she would like to give her Nobel Peace Prize to Trump and praised him for ousting Maduro.
One source close to Machado told Semafor she “absolutely” plans to return to Venezuela soon, and promised that “she’s in this for the long term.”
“Maria Corina Machado is the choice of the Venezuelan people. If a free and fair election were held next week, she’d win in a landslide,” the person said. “After America restores stability and law and order, it will be time to hold elections so the Venezuelan people can make it official: they want a true American ally to lead their nation.”
And some congressional Republicans predict that Trump’s recent remarks don’t rule out Machado as a long-term partner for the US — once Venezuela is able to hold elections, a priority of the administration that may not occur in the short term.
“Rubio and the president made clear that as we transition this, they eventually want to see Machado and the opposition movement hopefully be elected yet again,” Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., said. “It’s a complicated thing to run a country — but we have leverage now. … We’re four days in. It’s going to take time. But I have confidence.”
People close to Machado are skeptical that Rodriguez, who initially criticized the US strike against Venezuela, will continue working with Trump as she competes with others in Venezuela who may have an interest in grabbing power.
“The new president has made some conciliatory comments,” Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said of Rodriguez. “But the new president, she never stood for election. People didn’t elect her. And she’s not the defense minister. And she’s not the interior minister.”
The White House notably did not foreclose on the possibility of supporting a Machado candidacy to lead Venezuela.
“The president and his national security team are making realistic decisions to finally ensure Venezuela aligns with the interests of the United States, and becomes a better country for the Venezuelan people,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
A White House official, asked about Machado, told Semafor: “As the president stated, there will be elections at the right time, but his top priority is to bring Venezuela back from the dead and rebuild the country.”
Machado’s spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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For some lawmakers, the debate is not about whether Machado would be the best choice but about whether she’ll get the chance to appear on a ballot.
“The people of Venezuela, based on the last election, want democracy,” Kennedy said. “And I think if you give them a chance to vote for it, they will. But I don’t know whether the military is going to give them a chance to vote.”
That was part of the Trump administration’s calculus in deciding to leave Rodriguez in Venezuela after removing Maduro: US intelligence suggested the country’s opposition might not have the capability to run the government, and that backing Machado risked further destabilization.
Internal discontent over Machado also played a role, with Trump’s special envoy Ric Grenell becoming frustrated with her unwillingness to provide a list of political prisoners to the administration, The New York Times reported.
Grenell had long pushed for a more diplomatic solution with Maduro at the start of the president’s second term, but was eventually pushed aside by Rubio.
Room for Disagreement
A few Republicans signaled they think Machado is out of the running for good.
Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., lamented that there are “not a lot of good alternatives” to Rodríguez.
Machado is “not in [the] country, not running the powers, not dealing with violence and riots in the streets,” Lankford said. “I mean, the hard part is: It is what it is. We’re dealing with the reality we have, not the reality that we want at this point.”
Notable
- Trump “reserves the right to” use military force to ensure US oil workers are safe in Venezuela, Leavitt said Wednesday.
- Lawmakers are also growing concerned about Greenland, Semafor reported.
Burgess Everett contributed.