The meaning of Machado's return to Venezuela for Washington Maria Corina Machado is back in Venezuela - something Washington did not plan. The Nobel laureate returned after nearly a year in exile, drawing thousands of supporters to the streets as her motorcade crawled towards Caracas. It was a show of popular power aimed at the interim government of Delsea Rodríguez - and by extension the American diplomacy that bet on Rodríguez rather than Machado. The White House spent months grooming Rodriguez as its indispensable partner. After US forces captured Nicolás Maduro in January, it was Rodriguez - his former vice president - whom Washington recognized as interim president and whose government it supported through oil deals and transition talks. Trump publicly praised her while saying it was "too early" to discuss the election. Machado, meanwhile, was kept at arm's length despite presenting Trump with her Nobel medal. The administration chose a partner it could work with over a Democrat it could praise. Now that choice is exposed. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington told Rodriguez "weeks and weeks ago" that Machado should be allowed to return unimpeded. But Trump himself claimed ignorance, telling reporters he knew "nothing about it" and suggesting only that she was a "very nice woman" who gave him her award. This gap between the strict diplomacy of Rubios and the disconnection of the presidents is what is said: the US does not have a clear strategy for what will happen if Machado forces the pace for the elections in Washington was content with a postponement. If Rodríguez restricts it or cracks down on its supporters, Washington will face pressure to retaliate — but doing so would jeopardize the oil relationship and the interim government it has installed. Rodriguez, for her part, dismissed Machados' return as a "show" and suggested she should have just used the airport.

The meaning of Machado's return to Venezuela for Washington Maria Corina Machado is back in Venezuela - something Washington did not plan. The Nobel laureate returned after nearly a year in exile, drawing thousands of supporters to the streets as her motorcade crawled towards Caracas. It was a show of popular power aimed at the interim government of Delsea Rodríguez - and by extension the American diplomacy that bet on Rodríguez rather than Machado. The White House spent months grooming Rodriguez as its indispensable partner. After US forces captured Nicolás Maduro in January, it was Rodriguez - his former vice president - whom Washington recognized as interim president and whose government it supported through oil deals and transition talks. Trump publicly praised her while saying it was "too early" to discuss the election. Machado, meanwhile, was kept at arm's length despite presenting Trump with her Nobel medal. The administration chose a partner it could work with over a Democrat it could praise. Now that choice is exposed. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington told Rodriguez "weeks and weeks ago" that Machado should be allowed to return unimpeded. But Trump himself claimed ignorance, telling reporters he knew "nothing about it" and suggesting only that she was a "very nice woman" who gave him her award. This gap between the strict diplomacy of Rubios and the disconnection of the presidents is what is said: the US does not have a clear strategy for what will happen if Machado forces the pace for the elections in Washington was content with a postponement. If Rodríguez restricts it or cracks down on its supporters, Washington will face pressure to retaliate — but doing so would jeopardize the oil relationship and the interim government it has installed. Rodriguez, for her part, dismissed Machados' return as a "show" and suggested she should have just used the airport.