Trump says US not stopping Machado from returning to Venezuela

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE – US President Donald Trump denied preventing Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado from returning to her country after the recent devastating earthquakes, a move that could pose a direct challenge to acting President Delcy Rodríguez.

“I did not tell her to not go back. I think she’s a good person,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on the evening of July 8 as he flew back to Washington after attending a NATO summit in Turkey.

Machado has said she intends to return to Venezuela as the government struggles to deal with one of its worst natural disasters in decades.

The death toll from the late June’s quakes has risen to more than 3,600 as of July 9, according to official figures, as authorities continued to recover bodies.

A Machado return would force Rodríguez to choose between embracing her chief political rival in a show of national unity or accusations that her government is tightening control over the country during a national emergency.

How Rodríguez handles the crisis is already shaping perceptions of her administration after the US removed her predecessor, Nicolas Maduro, in early January.

Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025 for her quest to restore democracy in her country.

She’s also sought to manage a delicate relationship with Trump, who had long coveted the award.

Machado presented him with her Nobel medal during a White House visit earlier in 2026.

“She gave me the Nobel Prize, right? So, how can I dislike her?” Trump said.

Machado tried to travel to Curacao from the US in June with the help of private security contractors, intending to reach Venezuela, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified in order to speak publicly.

However, she called off that attempt after Trump’s administration made clear she would be travelling at her own risk and without US support, the people said.

Rodríguez said she spoke by telephone with Trump and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the days following the earthquakes.

In a post on X, she said the US had pledged additional search-and-rescue teams, specialised equipment, temporary shelters and humanitarian assistance for affected families.

Rubio and other officials in Washington have supported Machado eventually returning once an agreement is reached with the Rodríguez administration, but are worried an immediate return could cause a confrontation with the regime and distract from rescue efforts. BLOOMBERG