Machado says US told Venezuelan leader to move toward transition

VENEZUELAN opposition leader María Corina Machado said she believes the US has told acting President Delcy Rodríguez to take steps toward an eventual handover of power. 

Washington instructed Rodríguez “to take certain actions regarding further dismantling of the criminal structure as a path towards a complete transition to democracy in Venezuela,” Machado said in an interview with CBS Evening News.

While such steps could move the country closer to democracy, Rodríguez’s credibility remains a major obstacle, Machado added. “Nobody trusts her,” she said. 

The comments come after President Donald Trump dismissed the idea of working with Machado. Speaking following the capture of President Nicolas Maduro by US forces on Saturday, Trump said she lacks support and respect inside the country. 

Trump said that the “interim administration” of Rodriguez agreed to hand over between 30 and 50 million barrels of oil to the US.

In a post on Truth Social on Monday evening, the US leader said that the proceeds will be used “to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States”. BLOOMBERG