Donald Trump is due to meet Venezuela's leading opposition figure, María Corina Machado, at the White House on Thursday, opening a delicate chapter in Washington's plans for the oil-rich country after the capture of Nicolás Maduro earlier this month.
Machado, a Nobel peace prize winner and longtime critic of Maduro, was widely expected to play a central role in a transition. Instead, the Trump administration has sidelined her, recognising Maduro's former vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez, as interim leader while signalling that the US intends to oversee Venezuela's political and economic reset.
The meeting comes as Trump deepens ties with Rodríguez's camp, including a deal to channel Venezuelan oil to the United States and place revenues under US supervision. Political prisoners have begun to be released, though rights groups say hundreds remain behind bars.
Machado has publicly praised Trump and thanked him for toppling Maduro, while insisting she is ready to lead Venezuela if free elections are held. Whether Thursday's talks restore her influence or simply underline her marginal role remains to be seen...
This is a developing news story...
