Trump Officials Reject Machado's Earthquake Aid Push in Venezuela, Deepening Rift With 2024 Opposition Figure
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 30
Trump Officials Reject Machado's Earthquake Aid Push in Venezuela, Deepening Rift With 2024 Opposition Figure
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 30
Summary
Trump administration officials repeatedly turned down María Corina Machado’s requests to return and help direct recovery after Venezuela’s devastating earthquakes, telling her she had become a distraction.
The rebuff has pushed simmering tensions into an open breach with Venezuela’s best-known opposition leader, and some officials now doubt she can repair ties with the administration.
Machado led the opposition movement whose candidate, independent observers said, won the 2024 presidential election despite manipulation and voter suppression under Nicolás Maduro.
Her bid to re-enter Venezuela also faces security risks and political skepticism: officials say she has not convinced Trump she has enough leverage to govern, even after Maduro was ousted earlier this year by U.S. forces.