The White House assured this Thursday that the President of the United States, Donald Trump, has not changed his opinion about the Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, whom he considers lacking sufficient support and respect within her country to lead the transition after the fall of Nicolás Maduro's regime.
After Trump received the Nobel Peace Prize laureate at the White House at noon, his press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, confirmed in a conference that the Republican president maintains the same assessment expressed since early January.
After the capture of Nicolás Maduro, the leader surprised thousands by describing Machado as "a very pleasant woman," but lacking the necessary legitimacy to govern the South American nation.
"The president made a realistic assessment, based on the information he receives from his advisors and his national security team," Leavitt stated.
“At this moment, your opinion on that matter has not changed,” he added.
The official also noted that Trump "expected to have a positive conversation" with the opposition leader, whom he received this Wednesday at the White House, but reiterated that Washington's position on Venezuelan leadership "is based on the reality on the ground."
Leavitt emphasized that the U.S. president "remains committed to the hope that elections will be held in Venezuela someday", although he clarified that there is currently no defined timeline. "The president wishes for the Venezuelan people to be able to decide their future freely, but today I do not have a date to provide," he stated.
The meeting between Trump and Machado took place a week after the president referred to Delcy Rodríguez, the interim president appointed by Chavista institutions, as “a wonderful person” and “a figure one can work with,” which sparked controversy among Venezuelan opposition sectors.
The White House considers that the current priority in Venezuela is to ensure stability and the delivery of humanitarian aid, before defining a definitive leadership, in a context where the United States is exercising direct control over the political transition following the capture of Maduro and his inner circle.
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