US Intervention in Venezuela Takes Unexpected Turn as Trump Favors Maduro Ally Over Opposition Leader
Meta Description: Breaking: The US intervention in Venezuela has taken a surprising turn as President Trump expresses support for Delcy Rodríguez, despite initial backing of opposition leader María Corina Machado.
In the wake of US air attacks in Caracas and the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, initial euphoria gripped the Venezuelan opposition. “Venezuelans, the hour of freedom has arrived,” declared María Corina Machado, leader of the Venezuelan opposition movement and projected winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. However, that optimism quickly faded following a shift in stance from US President Donald Trump.
Trump’s expression of a lack of confidence in Machado, coupled with a suggestion he would prefer to partner with Maduro loyalist Delcy Rodríguez, triggered a period of silence from the opposition’s official channels throughout the day. Machado had previously called for the immediate installation of Edmundo González Urrutia as president, a move supported by many Western governments who consider González the legitimate winner of Venezuela’s 2024 presidential election. “Today we are prepared to enforce our mandate and take power,” Machado stated. “Let us remain vigilant, active and organized until the democratic transition is achieved. A transition that needs ALL of us.”
The change in direction was further solidified during a Trump press conference. When questioned about Machado’s potential role in a post-Maduro government, the president stated he had not been in contact with her and, while acknowledging her as a “very nice woman,” asserted she “does not have the support or respect within the country” to lead Venezuela. As of Saturday night, neither Machado nor González had publicly responded to Trump’s statements, and their teams were awaiting a response from the White House.
Trump’s apparent rejection of Machado is particularly striking given her staunch support for the president, her dedication of her Nobel Prize to him, and her prior suggestion that Maduro had interfered with the 2020 US election to Trump’s detriment. However, Elías Ferrer, founder and director of Orinoco Research, indicated he was not surprised by the move, noting Trump rarely mentions Machado on social media.
Ferrer explained to CNN that Trump appeared unimpressed with the Venezuelan opposition during his first term, recalling his government’s support for politician Juan Guaidó in 2019. The United States, along with over 60 other nations, had recognized Guaidó as the country’s legitimate president, but his efforts ultimately stalled. “He really supported Juan Guaidó, but it went wrong,” Ferrer said. “And then Trump took the fall, because he was promoting this guy who turned out to be a complete failure.”
According to Ferrer, Trump’s current priorities have shifted. “In his second term, Trump is more interested in fighting crime, attacking drug boats and ensuring access to oil,” he continued. “For those things you don’t need a model democracy,” Ferrer added. “You just need a government that is accommodating in some way.”
David Smilde, a Venezuela expert and professor at Tulane University, echoed this sentiment, noting Trump’s conspicuous absence of any mention of “democracy” during his press conference. “It doesn’t seem like they have a democratic transition in mind,” Smilde said. “They have in mind a country that is friendly and open to the interests of the United States, stable and economically productive.” He added, “It doesn’t seem like democracy or María Corina Machado are even on the radar, right now.”
Instead of Machado, Trump has signaled a focus on Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, a prominent figure within the current government. Trump announced the US would “govern” Venezuela until a “judicious transition,” stating Rodríguez was “essentially willing to do what we believe is necessary to make Venezuela great again.”
Rodríguez, who faces US sanctions, has yet to directly respond to Trump’s endorsement, but affirmed on Saturday that Maduro remains Venezuela’s president. “We will never again be a colony,” Rodríguez declared, flanked by senior government officials, including Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, who was previously implicated in accusations against Maduro following the US attack.
The shift has sparked confusion among Venezuelans. A Caracas resident, speaking anonymously for fear of reprisal, expressed bewilderment, stating, “I don’t know how much progress we made by removing Maduro but leaving them in charge, or her in charge. I don’t see how that makes much sense.”
Here is a video of Trump announcing the transition in Venezuela: Trump announces transition in Venezuela: “We are going to govern that country”
And here is a report on Delcy Rodríguez: Delcy Rodríguez: the defiant face that remains at the head of Venezuela
The evolving situation in Venezuela suggests a pragmatic, rather than ideological, approach from the Trump administration, prioritizing stability and US interests over a swift democratic transition, leaving the future of the nation uncertain.
