Venezuela’s Machado Says Trump Channel With Maduro Is ‘Positive’
(Bloomberg) -- Venezuela opposition leader María Corina Machado said she spoke with an envoy of President Donald Trump who secured the release of six American prisoners after a meeting with President Nicolás Maduro last week.
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Machado said she “was aware” of a planned visit by Richard Grenell, Trump’s envoy for special situations, to Caracas on Friday.
“I don’t think it’s bad that there is a channel, so that the Trump government can speak clearly to the regime, in fact I think it’s very positive,” Machado said in a press conference on Monday, adding that she’s had “several conversations” with Grenell.
Trump said Maduro granted the release of six US prisoners and agreed to receive all undocumented Venezuelan migrants from the US, including members of the Tren de Aragua criminal group, in a Truth Social post Saturday morning.
Maduro, whose international legitimacy was deeply damaged after the US, the European Union, and most countries in the region refused to recognize his reelection, went to great lengths to publicize the meeting with Grenell.
While Machado, the main opposition figure, was banned from last year’s ballot, a credible stand-in for her, Edmundo González, was allowed to run against Maduro. Detailed results from a majority of polling stations showed González took nearly 70% of the vote, almost as twice as Maduro’s share.
--With assistance from Andreina Itriago Acosta.
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