Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado is welcomed as she arrives for meetings in the office of Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
January 15, 2026 - 10:16 AM
WASHINGTON (AP) — Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado met with U.S. President Donald Trump, presenting him with her Nobel Peace Prize medal and praising his support for Venezuelan democracy, even as Trump has signaled a willingness to work with the country’s acting president.
As Machado was in Washington, acting President Delcy Rodríguez delivered her first state of the union address in Caracas, calling for reforms to Venezuela’s state-run oil industry aimed at attracting foreign investment following the removal of former President Nicolás Maduro. The former vice president also outlined a distinct vision for the future between the two historic adversaries, straying from her predecessors, who have long railed against American intervention in Venezuela.
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