Trump plans to meet with Venezuela opposition leader Maria Corina Machado next week
President Donald Trump had snubbed Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado for the opportunity to lead the Latin American country
By
Landon MionFox NewsPublished
January 8, 2026 11:41pm ESTclose
VideoMaria Corina Machado: Maduro thought by banning me, he would stop us from winning
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President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he plans to meet with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado in Washington next week.
During an appearance on Fox News' "Hannity," Trump was asked if he intends to meet with Machado after the U.S. struck Venezuela and captured its president, Nicolás Maduro.
"Well, I understand she's coming in next week sometime, and I look forward to saying hello to her," Trump said.
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado waves a national flag during a protest called by the opposition on the eve of the presidential inauguration, in Caracas on January 9, 2025. (JUAN BARRETO/AFP via Getty Images)
This will be Trump's first meeting with Machado, who the U.S. president stated "doesn't have the support within or the respect within the country" to lead.
According to reports, Trump’s refusal to support Machado was linked to her accepting the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, which Trump believed he deserved.
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But Trump later told NBC News that while he believed Machado should not have won the award, her acceptance of the prize had "nothing to do with my decision" about the prospect of her leading Venezuela.
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