US Diplomacy Moves in Venezuela Under Trump Administration, Machado's Presidential Hopes Dimmed
In a move that has left Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado's hopes of becoming the country's first female president in doubt, US President Donald Trump has extended recognition to Maduro's vice-president Delcy Rodríguez as acting president. The decision was made despite opposition from many analysts who claim it undermines Venezuela's democratic process.
According to reports, Machado recently handed over her Nobel peace prize medal to Trump, an apparent attempt to curry favor with the US leader in the hopes of regaining his support for her presidential bid. However, Trump's actions suggest that he has largely disengaged from Venezuelan politics following a pre-dawn raid on Caracas in January which saw Maduro taken into custody.
Experts argue that Trump's decision to back Rodríguez will only serve to marginalize Machado and her opposition movement, which won the 2024 presidential election against Maduro. The outcome was seen as a major victory for democracy in Venezuela but has been overshadowed by Washington's latest diplomatic overtures towards the regime.
Critics say that Trump's support for Rodríguez is largely driven by personal animosity towards Machado and CIA advice that she would struggle to control the country's military and armed groups. The move also reflects a broader trend of US policy under Trump, in which special forces have been involved in human rights abuses and extraordinary renditions.
As the situation in Venezuela continues to deteriorate, analysts argue that Trump's actions only serve to fuel further instability. "They bet fully on the Trump administration… but this didn't happen," said Imdat Oner, a former Turkish diplomat in Venezuela who is now a fellow at Florida International University's Jack D Gordon institute for public policy.
The CIA director's visit to Caracas earlier this month was also seen as a humiliating moment for Rodríguez and her administration. The agency's agents played a key role in infiltrating Maduro's inner circle, gathering information on his location that ultimately led to his capture.
As Venezuela continues to grapple with the consequences of its chaotic politics, opposition leaders are growing increasingly isolated. Machado's recent visit to Washington was seen as a humiliating experience, while her hopes of regaining Trump's support for her presidential bid appear all but dashed.
In a move that has left Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado's hopes of becoming the country's first female president in doubt, US President Donald Trump has extended recognition to Maduro's vice-president Delcy Rodríguez as acting president. The decision was made despite opposition from many analysts who claim it undermines Venezuela's democratic process.
According to reports, Machado recently handed over her Nobel peace prize medal to Trump, an apparent attempt to curry favor with the US leader in the hopes of regaining his support for her presidential bid. However, Trump's actions suggest that he has largely disengaged from Venezuelan politics following a pre-dawn raid on Caracas in January which saw Maduro taken into custody.
Experts argue that Trump's decision to back Rodríguez will only serve to marginalize Machado and her opposition movement, which won the 2024 presidential election against Maduro. The outcome was seen as a major victory for democracy in Venezuela but has been overshadowed by Washington's latest diplomatic overtures towards the regime.
Critics say that Trump's support for Rodríguez is largely driven by personal animosity towards Machado and CIA advice that she would struggle to control the country's military and armed groups. The move also reflects a broader trend of US policy under Trump, in which special forces have been involved in human rights abuses and extraordinary renditions.
As the situation in Venezuela continues to deteriorate, analysts argue that Trump's actions only serve to fuel further instability. "They bet fully on the Trump administration… but this didn't happen," said Imdat Oner, a former Turkish diplomat in Venezuela who is now a fellow at Florida International University's Jack D Gordon institute for public policy.
The CIA director's visit to Caracas earlier this month was also seen as a humiliating moment for Rodríguez and her administration. The agency's agents played a key role in infiltrating Maduro's inner circle, gathering information on his location that ultimately led to his capture.
As Venezuela continues to grapple with the consequences of its chaotic politics, opposition leaders are growing increasingly isolated. Machado's recent visit to Washington was seen as a humiliating experience, while her hopes of regaining Trump's support for her presidential bid appear all but dashed.
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I think Trump is kinda like a puzzle with many missing pieces 
. You gotta draw a diagram with the US and Venezuela in the middle... 
+ Machado's Venezuela 
and make Venezuela an even bigger mess.
. And Machado's team seems to be getting left behind in all this... 
.
... or in this case, totally disengaged from Venezuelan politics after just 1 minute 
! Machado must've thought, "Hey, let me get some Nobel cred out of this" 
. Meanwhile, Rodríguez is like the new girl in school who's suddenly popular because Trump likes her 
.
. Trump's move is basically gonna give more power to that Maduro regime and make it harder for Machado to even run in the next election 
. The fact that they're trying to undermine Venezuelan democracy is wild 
. The fact that Trump has basically ignored Machado and her opposition movement after supporting them in the election is just mind-boggling. I mean, what kind of diplomacy is this? 
It's like they're giving Maduro a free pass to do whatever he wants.
.
.
Still, if Trump is just gonna play nice with Maduro and Rodríguez, that doesn't bode well for democracy in Venezuela. And Machado did try to butter him up by returning her Nobel medal, so I guess she knew what she was getting herself into 
. At the same time, it's hard not to feel like Trump's actions are just gonna fuel more instability in a country that's already got its fingers crossed for a miracle 
. Can't help but wonder if the opposition's losses will be used as an excuse to tighten the noose on them... 
It sounds like she was just desperate for attention or something. And now Trump is basically supporting Rodríguez, who's just a vice-president with no real power. I mean, I know Trump's got his own agenda and all, but come on, this is just shady politics at its finest. 
. I mean, what's up with that? Can you imagine trying to navigate an airplane through a sea of chocolate cake? Anyway, back to Venezuela... have you guys ever tried those Venezuelan cheese fries? 
They're like, the best thing since sliced bread or something! 
. And now this move just seems like he's trying to mess with Machado's plans even more 
they're trying to do what's best for their country, but it seems like washington is playing with fire 
️ and now they're getting burned 
it feels like trump's main goal is to keep his own options open, rather than genuinely supporting venezuela's transition to democracy