Machado announces return to Venezuela as Trump signals continued backing for Rodriguez

Caracas, Venezuela. Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado announced on social media on Sunday that she had returned home after spending almost a year abroad. President Donald Trump said he was unaware of her return and indicated that Washington would maintain its support for interim President Delcy Rodriguez.

Machado announces her arrival

Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, posted early on Sunday: “I’m here. With you all.”

Images released by her press team showed her at a church in the Plaza del Pueblo de Santa Rosa in Lara, a state in central-western Venezuela.

Her return has been a source of tension in her relationship with the Trump administration. Machado had been working to secure the administration’s backing even before it ousted President Nicolas Maduro in January.

Trump backs interim leadership

Trump has repeatedly voiced support for Rodriguez, who previously served as Maduro’s deputy. He has also praised agreements involving oil production and other commercial ventures by US companies operating in Venezuela. In September, he said consideration of democratic elections there was premature.

Asked about Machado at the White House on Sunday, Trump said he knew nothing about her return. He described her as a very nice woman but said the US was doing very well in Venezuela, suggesting that his administration would continue backing Rodriguez.

In a separate Fox News interview on Sunday, Trump said the US had “total control of Venezuela.” He also said Washington was acting very fairly while taking millions of barrels of oil each week.

No immediate official response

Requests for comment on Machado’s return received no immediate response from either the White House or Venezuela’s communications ministry, which manages all government press inquiries.