DREAM / The Prime Minister resigns and wakes up under the Parisian bridge!

 Kliko këtu për të tjera
Voxpress:

Why Donald Trump doesn't support Machado as Maduro's successor in Venezuela!

2026-01-07 09:32:01Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

Why Donald Trump doesn't support Machado as Maduro's successor in

With Nicolás Maduro, but also his wife, now in the hands of American justice, Venezuela acted quickly to fill the vacuum at the top of power, entrusting the presidency to former vice president and Maduro's right-hand woman, Delcy Rodríguez.

The solution was what the country's institutions, tired for decades of the long rule of Maduro and earlier of Hugo Chávez, had envisioned.

Those who expected or hoped for quick change were apparently disappointed. Among them were those who thought the White House would openly side with opposition leader and recent Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado.

According to the New York Times behind the scenes of this choice, the White House had decided not to support Machado even before the American operation took place in the early hours of Saturday morning, January 3.

"She's a very good woman, but she's going to have a very hard time being a leader, they don't respect her," Donald Trump was quoted as saying over the weekend. With this statement, the US president was underlining that Machado does not enjoy strong support in either the political class or the economic elite, which had built a fragile balance of coexistence with the Maduro regime.

For Machado herself, the decision was a severe blow, the end of a months-long effort to get closer to Trump and his inner circle. And, in fact, she had sometimes gone further than necessary, such as when she dedicated the Nobel Peace Prize to him.

In reality, relations between Machado and Washington had been cooling for months.

Last January, Trump's envoy, Richard Grenell, visited Caracas and requested to meet with Machado, as well as to be given a list of political prisoners to be released. Despite American assurances of her safety, the meeting did not take place (although there was a positive phone call) and the list was not handed over, likely to avoid being perceived as favoring some individuals over others.

Washington was also concerned by Machado's vague plans for "the day after tomorrow," as well as her inaccurate assessments that Maduro and his regime were on the verge of collapse.

On the other hand, Machado herself was unhappy that Grenell had not publicly called Maduro an illegitimate leader.

According to the New York Times, Trump was eventually convinced by senior officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, that open American support for the opposition would further destabilize Venezuela. Such a scenario, they warned, would also require a larger U.S. military presence.

In practice, Machado paid the price for her strategy of absolute refusal to engage in any dialogue with Maduro. Although this approach enjoyed support from a large section of public opinion, it prevented her from building broader alliances that would bring her closer to power.

Her ties to the Republican Party in the US also brought her little help, especially after Trump came to power, who significantly reduced the weight of ideology in American politics.

Meanwhile, Machado's open support for tough sanctions on Venezuela cooled her relations with the business elite, which had aligned itself with Maduro's regime. She also clashed with civil society, which was trying to improve living conditions in the country. Machado seemed to represent the views of Venezuelans living abroad more than those still living in Venezuela.

All this happened while the praise for Trump and the silence about his decisions continued without any change on Machado's part. As it turned out in the end, without any practical results.


Në përputhje me standarded JTI

Video

SHIKO KANALIN NE YOUTUBE
×