Venezuela's Machado Presents Trump With Her Nobel Peace Prize Medal

Should Venezuelans trust Trump's strategy to dismantle Chavismo, or pressure the U.S. for a democratic transition?

Published 2 hours ago

Venezuela's Machado Presents Trump With Her Nobel Peace Prize Medal

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Above: President Donald Trump with Maria Corina Machado in the Oval Office, on Jan. 15. Image credit: Daniel Torok/The White House/Getty Images

The Spin

Pro-Trump narrative

Trump's brilliant strategy uses Delcy Rodriguez as a puppet to dismantle the Chavista regime without boots on the ground or nation-building chaos, while preventing the María Corina Machado-led opposition from facing dangerous military resistance that could create a failed state in Venezuela. Trump wants Venezuela to be a democracy, but first he must force corrupt insiders to purge their own ranks and clear the path for real democracy.

American Thinker

Eric Daugherty on X

Anti-Trump narrative

Trump only wants oil access and geopolitical leverage, not democratic renewal, so Machado faces a serious risk of being sidelined as the U.S. and Maduro loyalists reach deals without opposition involvement. It's pressing for the opposition to mobilize mass protests with achievable goals, emancipate itself from U.S. interests and form an international bloc with other democratic countries. Otherwise, the Chavista will continue in power in Venezuela.

Caracas Chronicles