Donald Trump, Venezuela, and a Stunning Reversal Toward an Internationally Backed Opposition Leader

Washington / Caracas — Just one day after the U.S. administration announced that Nicolás Maduro had been captured, President Donald Trump stunned diplomats in Washington and Venezuela’s opposition movement alike by publicly downplaying the role of María Corina Machado, a figure widely regarded by the international community as the most prominent symbol of Venezuela’s democratic opposition for more than a decade.

Speaking at a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, Mr. Trump said he had “not been in contact” with Ms. Machado and claimed that she lacked “support or respect inside the country,” adding, “She’s a very nice woman, but she’s not capable of leading Venezuela.”

The remarks triggered immediate backlash—not only among Venezuelan expatriates in the United States, but also among policymakers in Washington, Europe, and across Latin America.

A Statement at Odds With Electoral Reality

Mr. Trump’s comments sharply contradict widely reported electoral data and international assessments. In Venezuela’s July 2024 presidential election, although Ms. Machado was declared ineligible to run by the Maduro government, she endorsed Edmundo González, who was widely believed by independent observers and Western governments to have defeated Mr. Maduro by a landslide—winning an estimated 70 percent of the vote.

The result was broadly seen as the clearest expression of Venezuelan popular will in years, despite government interference and repression.

“There is no factual basis for saying Machado lacks support,” said a former U.S. diplomat with experience in Caracas. “She helped build the broadest opposition coalition Venezuela has seen in modern history.”

A Sudden and Questionable Shift in Trump’s Strategy

According to diplomatic and security sources cited by CNN and Axios, the Trump administration had quietly explored the possibility of working with Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s vice president and a key Maduro loyalist, before the president’s capture.

Ms. Rodríguez—now serving as interim leader—quickly rejected the legitimacy of U.S. actions, insisting that Mr. Maduro remained Venezuela’s only lawful president.

Mr. Trump’s decision to sideline Ms. Machado while simultaneously pursuing contacts with figures tied to the Maduro regime has fueled suspicion that Washington is no longer prioritizing a genuine democratic transition in Venezuela.

Democracy or Control?

Analysts quoted by The New York Times and The Washington Post suggest that Mr. Trump’s objective may not be the establishment of a liberal democracy in Venezuela, but rather the maintenance of a strongman government aligned with U.S. interests—one that would allow Washington to exert direct control over strategic resources, particularly oil.

Venezuela holds the largest proven oil reserves in the world. Mr. Trump has repeatedly stated in the past that the United States should “take the oil” if it intervenes militarily.

“Trump doesn’t want a Venezuela that’s open to Europe, China, or competing multinational firms,” said a former State Department official speaking to Politico. “He wants exclusive leverage.”

Machado’s Efforts to Court Trump

Over the past two years, Ms. Machado made concerted efforts to build ties with Trump-aligned media and political circles. She appeared on Fox News, joined Donald Trump Jr.’s podcast, and publicly praised Mr. Trump’s role in confronting the Maduro regime.

When she received the Nobel Peace Prize (as widely circulated in U.S. political media narratives), she went so far as to dedicate the honor to Mr. Trump, calling him a “courageous leader.”

In multiple interviews, Ms. Machado outlined plans for sweeping privatization and the opening of Venezuela’s economy to foreign investment, including U.S. corporations.

Yet according to sources close to the Trump family, those very positions may have worked against her.

“A pluralistic, market-open Venezuela isn’t what Trump is looking for,” said a political analyst at the Brookings Institution.

International Response: America on the Sidelines

While the Trump administration distanced itself from Venezuela’s democratic opposition, other governments moved quickly to signal support.

French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that he had spoken directly with Ms. Machado, expressing France’s backing for a democratic transition that “fully respects the will of the Venezuelan people.”

Governments in Argentina, Ecuador, Panama, and Paraguay also contacted opposition leaders, according to CNN journalist Jim Sciutto.

Notably, the United States was absent from that list.

Even Trump’s Former Allies Express Doubts

Elliott Abrams, who served as Mr. Trump’s special envoy for Venezuela during his first term, told U.S. media that he could not understand why the president believed Ms. Machado lacked legitimacy.

“She and Edmundo González received about 70 percent of the vote,” Mr. Abrams said. “If Trump truly supports democracy, that fact cannot be ignored.”

A Chilling Message to the World

Mr. Trump’s public dismissal of an internationally recognized opposition leader sends a stark message: U.S. support is no longer anchored to democratic principles, but instead hinges on strategic compliance—and personal loyalty to the president.

As one European diplomat wrote on X (formerly Twitter):
“Venezuela may be witnessing the replacement of one authoritarian regime with the risk of being managed like a strategic asset.”

For María Corina Machado, Mr. Trump’s reversal represents more than a personal setback. It is a harsh lesson in the cost of placing faith in a power structure driven not by institutions or values, but by raw authority.