Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado's determined efforts to return home after devastating earthquakes killed more than 1,700 people have sparked fury inside the Trump administration, with senior State Department officials accusing her of exploiting the disaster for political gain.
The backlash centers on Machado's two failed attempts last week to enter Venezuela following the June 24 earthquakes. On Friday, her charter plane was turned around mid-flight from the Dutch island of Curacao after confusion over whether the U.S. wanted her to proceed. Two days later in Panama City, Copa Airlines blocked her from boarding a flight to Caracas.
"It's political opportunism and it's grotesque," a senior administration official said, reflecting frustration shared by four other State Department figures interviewed about the matter.
The timing has created a significant headache for diplomats trying to manage earthquake relief while maintaining their newly installed government in Caracas, where vice president Delcy Rodriguez now leads after U.S. forces ousted Nicolas Maduro on January 3. Washington's official position is "agnostic" about whether Machado should return, a stance complicated by her aggressive lobbying campaign.
Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient who gave her award to President Trump after Maduro's removal, has spent weeks pressing Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Deputy Secretary Chris Landau, and White House officials to facilitate her return. One State Department official said Rubio is "at wit's end" with her relentless advocacy.
"Marco is at wit's end," the official said. "She has to be patient and she won't be, and it's driving him crazy."
The situation exposes deeper frustrations within the administration. Machado led the Venezuelan political party that defeated Maduro in 2024, but the elections were rigged. Since his removal, she and her supporters have criticized U.S. policy backing Rodriguez as interim leader, demanding the State Department support her own return and accelerate plans for new elections. No date for a presidential election has been set.
State Department officials argue that her actions threaten ongoing relief efforts and could reignite political tensions in a country where citizens already distrust their government. The earthquake has left tens of thousands living in tents with thousands more feared dead.
"Over 1,700 Venezuelans have been tragically killed," one senior official said. "Thousands more are feared dead. Tens of thousands are living in tents with nowhere to go. And while we are focused on helping to respond to this calamity, she is making this all about herself."
Another official warned that her political maneuvering creates real dangers on the ground. "The State Department is leading the biggest recovery effort in Venezuela. It's just not the time and place for Machado to use this as a political tool," they said.
In a social media address Monday, Machado insisted her intentions were humanitarian. "I want to return to Venezuela to accompany you," she said. "The regime wants to block my return to Venezuela, and the return of the thousands of Venezuelans who want to come to help."
Machado, who has been living in the U.S. on an expired Venezuelan passport, did not respond to requests for further comment. Administration sources expect her to attempt entry again soon, potentially creating new diplomatic friction at a critical moment for U.S.-Venezuela relations.
Author James Rodriguez: "Machado's bulldozing approach may play well with her exile base in Miami, but it's burning bridges with the only government that can actually help her get home."
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