Trump Administration Orders Plane Turned Back, Delays María Corina Machado’s Return to Venezuela

María Corina Machado’s attempts to return to Venezuela ran into resistance from the Donald Trump administration after a private plane was ordered to turn back while still in U.S. airspace, with The Wall Street Journal reporting that “Dutch authorities, who handle Curaçao’s foreign affairs, initially believed the U.S. backed her trip but withdrew permission for the plane to land.”

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El Mundo

El País says a State Department spokesperson told the newspaper that attempts by the Nobel laureate to return now are “counterproductive,” and that the U.S. government has aligned itself with acting President Delcy Rodríguez.

El Mundo

El País also reports that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio relayed the administration’s view to Machado that, while Washington would not prevent her return, it was not the moment to try because all attention and resources needed to be dedicated to rescue efforts.

After that failed attempt, Machado tried again by flying from Panama last Sunday, and El País reports that Copa Airlines refused to let her board, fearing potential reprisals from the Venezuelan government.

El País adds that Machado posted a video from Panama saying she could not reach her country because the government in Caracas had closed airspace to prevent her entry.

El País quotes a State Department spokesperson saying, “The Trump administration is focused exclusively on continuing our efforts to respond to the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela,” as Machado pressed to return.

The same article says Washington announced $300 million in humanitarian aid, deployed search-and-rescue teams with highly trained dogs, and established a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART).

EL PAÍS English

El País frames the administration’s position as backing acting President Delcy Rodríguez, with the White House choosing to do so despite criticism Caracas has faced over its disaster response.

It also reports that Trump has said Machado does not have enough domestic support to lead Venezuela in this phase, while he praised Rodríguez for following Washington’s instructions.

El País adds that the U.S. government says it supports holding elections in Venezuela but insists political and economic stability must be restored first so that the vote can be conducted with adequate guarantees.

RFI reports that Donald Trump welcomed María Corina Machado at the White House on Thursday, January 15, for a luncheon that marked the first meeting between Trump and Machado.

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El Pitazo

RFI says Machado arrived shortly after 12:00 local time (17:00 UTC) and left around 14:30, then went to the Capitol for a meeting with lawmakers.

After leaving the White House, RFI reports that Machado told reporters at the Capitol, “I offered the President of the United States the Nobel Peace Prize medal,” and that Trump praised her “magnificent gesture,” adding “Thank you, Maria!”

RFI also says Machado described the meeting as “excellent,” and that she did not answer when asked whether Trump had kept the medal.

The same RFI account says Karoline Leavitt stated that Trump had not changed his mind about the fact that Machado was not the right person to lead Venezuela in the short term.