Trump meets Venezuelan opposition leader Machado at White House

WASHINGTON, Jan 16 — US President Donald Trump met with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado at the White House on Thursday, discussing Venezuela's future and her Nobel Peace Prize.

The lunch meeting lasted slightly over an hour and marked their first in-person encounter.

Machado described the meeting as "great" but did not elaborate on the substance of their conversation.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump had looked forward to meeting the "remarkable and brave voice for many of the people of Venezuela."

Leavitt added that Trump stood by his "realistic" assessment that Machado currently lacks the support needed to lead Venezuela in the short term.

Trump told Reuters he did not ask for the Nobel Peace Prize, stating, "She's a very nice woman. I think we're just going to talk basics."

Machado declined to say if she had presented the prize to Trump upon exiting the White House.

The Norwegian Nobel Institute has stated the prize cannot be transferred, shared, or revoked.

Machado is competing for influence with members of Venezuela's government following the capture of its longtime leader, Nicolas Maduro.

She was banned from running in Venezuela's 2024 presidential election by a court stacked with government allies.

Machado is due to meet with a bipartisan group of senior US senators on Capitol Hill later on Thursday.

She has generally found more enthusiastic allies in Congress than in the White House regarding her political future.