Nobel laureate Maria Machado met with Donald Trump at the White House as she seeks to convince opposition to hand over power in Venezuela.
Venezuelan Nobel Laureate Meets with Trump
Venezuelan Nobel Prize winner Maria Machado met with Donald Trump on Thursday (January 15) at the White House to discuss the transfer of power in Venezuela to the opposition candidate who won presidential elections a year and a half ago.
Citizen Reactions
“We are all waiting with impatience to see what might come out of this meeting. Let’s hope everything goes well,” said a resident of Venezuela’s capital before the meeting. “I hope that one day things will change and the country will be better,” added another Caracas resident.
Machado’s Comments
After the meeting, Maria Machado said it went very well and was “wonderful.” She did not want to reveal whether she had handed her Nobel Prize to Donald Trump, although she had previously suggested she might do so. After meeting with the president, Machado is scheduled to hold talks with US senators.
White House Spokesperson
“I don’t think Donald Trump wanted to hear anything from Ms. Machado. I think generally the president was prepared for this meeting to personally meet with Ms. Machado and simply talk honestly about what is happening in Venezuela,” said White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt earlier. She added that the US administration is in “constant contact” with Venezuela’s current authorities and noted a $500 million energy agreement largely due to cooperation with Acting President Rodriguez.
Media Reports
Media reports indicate that Venezuelan authorities do not want Machado to control the narrative.
