Trump Prefers Rodriguez Over Machado

The CIA thinks Delcy Rodriguez, who is the Vice President of Venezuela, is the best person to take over if the current president, Nicolas Maduro, is removed.

Some people in Venezuela and the US Congress thought that Maria Corina Machado, an opposition leader, could be the new president.

However, the US government believes that Rodriguez is better because she has a lot of experience in the oil industry and can help stabilize the country's economy.

Oil companies also support Rodriguez because she has worked with them before and knows how to handle the industry's challenges.

The US wants to avoid chaos like what happened in Iraq after Saddam Hussein was removed.

Rodriguez has been sworn in as acting president and has started talking to the US about working together.

Machado, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her fight against what the Norwegian Nobel Committee called a dictatorship, said she hasn't spoken to US President Donald Trump since October 2025.

She welcomed the US actions as “a huge step for humanity, for freedom and human dignity.”

Trump, however, has dismissed the possibility of working with Machado, citing her lack of support within Venezuela.

Machado has praised Trump for toppling Maduro and plans to return to Venezuela as soon as possible, claiming her party won the 2024 elections under fraudulent conditions and would secure 90% of the vote in free and fair elections.