Venezuela’s Machado Says No Contact with Trump Since October

Post by : Saif Nasser

Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado has said she has not spoken with U.S. President Donald Trump since October 2025. Her comments come at a time of major political upheaval in Venezuela following the capture of former President Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces.

Machado made the statement during a television interview in the United States. She explained that her last conversation with Trump took place on October 10, the same day she was announced as the Nobel Peace Prize winner. Since then, she said, there has been no further contact between them.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded Machado the prize for her long campaign against what it described as authoritarian rule in Venezuela. She is widely viewed as the most credible opposition figure to Maduro, who was removed from power in a dramatic U.S. military operation over the weekend.

Machado left Venezuela last month to travel to Norway for the Nobel ceremony and has not returned yet. When asked about her plans, she said she hopes to go back to Venezuela as soon as possible. Her return, however, comes with risks, as the political situation in the country remains unstable.

This was Machado’s first public interview since the U.S. strikes and Maduro’s capture. She described the U.S. action as a major step toward freedom and human dignity, saying it could help open a new chapter for Venezuela after years of crisis.

Despite her praise for the U.S. move, questions remain about Venezuela’s future leadership. Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has been sworn in as interim president, but uncertainty continues about what comes next and who will ultimately lead the country.

President Trump, meanwhile, has played down the idea of working closely with Machado. He recently said she lacks enough support and respect inside Venezuela, comments that highlight possible divisions over the country’s political future.

Machado’s remarks underline the complex and uncertain path ahead for Venezuela. As international attention remains focused on the country, her role, influence, and possible return home will be closely watched by both supporters and critics in the days ahead.