Former U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado is expected to visit Washington in the coming days, marking their first anticipated meeting since Machado received the Nobel Peace Prize in October.
Trump’s comments come shortly after recent U.S. military action in Venezuela, during which former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife were reportedly detained. According to Trump, Machado’s visit is expected to take place sometime next week.
Speaking to reporters, Trump indicated that he had not communicated with Machado following her Nobel Prize win but suggested that discussions during the visit would focus on Venezuela’s political future. He criticized the country’s electoral conditions, stating that Venezuela is currently incapable of conducting a credible election.
“We have to rebuild the country,” Trump said, arguing that Venezuela lacks the institutional capacity to hold elections at present.
Neither Machado nor her representatives have publicly commented on the planned visit, and further details about the agenda of the talks have not been disclosed.
