RT.com
22 Jan 2026, 16:01 GMT+10
House members have reportedly endorsed Maria Corina Machado despite US President Donald Trump dismissing her prospects as a potential national leader
US lawmakers have backed Venezuelan opposition figure Maria Corina Machado as a potential leader of the country following the abduction of President Nicolas Maduro, the New York Times has reported.
Members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously endorsed Machado after a closed-door meeting with her on Capitol Hill, the paper said on Wednesday.
Machado, a former congresswoman who maintained close contacts with Washington for decades, has previously led anti-government protests and accused Maduro of "illegally" seizing power during the 2024 elections. She was barred from holding public office after Venezuelan authorities accused her of backing foreign sanctions and calling for US military intervention.
US Representative Michael McCaul of Texas said Machado had "all the right stuff" to become the country's next president, according to the NYT.
"Now, the next step, obviously: free and fair elections," McCaul, a former committee chairman, said, adding, "We look forward to working with her."
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, a Florida Republican, said the US would have a role to play when Venezuela next holds elections, citing the "huge" stakes for a country he described as being "in our backyard."
Machado fully backed the US intervention into Venezuela and the kidnapping of Maduro in early January.
In December, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for what the committee called her struggle to achieve a "just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy." Machado gifted the medal to Trump last month.
Asked whether she backed US military action in her own country, Machado claimed the current "escalation" was the only way to force Maduro to realize "it's time to go," but stressed it was "not regime change" and amounted to enforcing "the will of the Venezuelan people."
Trump has consistently dismissed Machado's ability to replace Maduro as a potential new head of the oil-rich Latin American country, saying shortly after the US military raid that she "doesn't have the support or the respect within the country."
Russia has denounced the US military action in Venezuela as a violation of international law and affirmed its support for the South American nation's sovereignty.
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Austin Globe news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Austin Globe.
More InformationNEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks clawed back some of its recent losses Wednesday after President Donald Trump dropped his threats to...
WASHINGTON, D.C./PARIS: Trade tensions between Washington and Paris flared after U.S. President Donald Trump linked steep new tariffs...
LONDON, U.K.: Britain is weighing limits more stringent on children's access to social media, including the possibility of an outright...
DAVOS, Switzerland: The world's richest individuals tightened their grip on both wealth and political influence last year, reaching...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. and global stocks, foreign exchange and bond markets continued to be rattled Tuesday, as U.S. investors and...
BRUSSELS, Belgium: European governments are weighing a sweeping trade response to pressure from Washington over Greenland, as tensions...
U.S. President Donald Trump has hit out at countries that have objected to his plans to seize Greenland whether by agreement or by...
NEW YORK/WASHINGTON: As the main enrollment window for subsidized U.S. health insurance plans closes, millions of Americans are heading...
House members have reportedly endorsed Maria Corina Machado despite US President Donald Trump dismissing her prospects as a potential...
(Photo credit: Mark Stewart / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images) Olivia Hamlin tallied 20 points off...
(Photo credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images) Rashaun Agee scored a season-high 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead a balanced...
Washington DC [US], January 22 (ANI): The first look photos of Oscar Isaac starrer series 'Beef' are finally out, offering a glimpse...
