Updates: Machado meets Trump, says Venezuela ‘counting’ on him for freedom

These are updates for Thursday, January 15, 2026, as Venezuela’s opposition leader Maria Corina Machado visits the US.

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado walks on the day of a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 15, 2026. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper
Video Duration 02 minutes 05 seconds 02:05

Venezuela’s leadership in limbo after US abduction of Maduro

By Ali Harb and Brian Osgood
Published On 15 Jan 2026

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  • Donald Trump has hosted Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado behind closed doors at the White House, marking their first in-person meeting since the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
  • Machado presented Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize and described the meeting warmly, saying, “We are counting on President Trump for the freedom of Venezuela.”