Trump to meet with Venezuela's opposition leader after praising 'terrific' Maduro loyalist

16 Jan 2026 By foxnews

President Donald Trump is slated to meet with Venezuela's opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Maria Corina Machado at the White House Thursday.

Trump announced Jan. 3 that the U.S. had captured dictator Nicolás Maduro and that the U.S. would be running Venezuela until a safe transition could occur. But instead of endorsing Machado, Trump cast doubt on her abilities to lead the country.

"I think it would be very tough for her to be the leader," Trump told reporters Jan. 3. "She doesn't have the support within or the respect within the country. She's a very nice woman, but she doesn't have the respect."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration chose not to support Machado because the U.S. didn't want to make similar mistakes to the ones it made in the Middle East in Latin America, although he said he had "tremendous admiration" for Machado.

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"But there's the mission that we are on right now.… A lot of people analyze everything that happens in foreign policy through the lens of Iraq, Libya or Afghanistan," Rubio said Jan. 4 in an interview with CBS. "This is not the Middle East. This is the Western Hemisphere, and our mission here is very different."

A classified CIA assessment, which senior policymakers requested and presented to Trump, evaluated who would be the best fit to oversee an interim government in Venezuela following the overthrow of Maduro, a source familiar with the intelligence told Fox News Digital. Ultimately, it was determined that Maduro's vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, would be best situated to lead the country.

Although The Washington Post reported that Trump was annoyed Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025 - an award he had hoped to receive and that Machado dedicated to him - the White House claimed Trump's choices were based on "realistic decisions."

As a result, Trump has put his support behind Rodriguez who is now serving as interim president. On Wednesday, Trump shared he had a call with Rodriguez, and later described her as a "terrific" person.

"We are making tremendous progress, as we help Venezuela stabilize and recover," Trump said in a social media post Wednesday.

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"This partnership between the United States of America and Venezuela will be a spectacular one FOR ALL," Trump said. "Venezuela will soon be great and prosperous again, perhaps more so than ever before!"

Specifically, Trump said he and Rodriguez discussed oil, minerals and national security matters. On Jan. 7, Trump announced that Venezuela would provide the U.S. with 50 million barrels of oil that would be sold "immediately."

Rodriguez voiced similar sentiments, saying their "courteous" call "addressed a bilateral work agenda for the benefit of our peoples, as well as pending matters between our governments."

Meanwhile, Machado has praised Trump for his role overthrowing Maduro, and told CBS News that the president and the U.S. have "done much more than anybody thought was possible."

On Thursday, the White House referred Fox News Digital to Trump's previous comments to Reuters, when asked what the president planned to discuss with Machado.

"I think we're just going to talk," Trump told Reuters Wednesday. "And I haven't met her. She's a very ‌nice woman. ‌I think we're just going to talk basics."

Fox News' Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.