Machado's High-Stakes Gamble: Aligning with Trump's Hawks

On January 6, 2025, key members of Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado's team convened in a Capitol Hill office with Mike Waltz, the incoming national security adviser to Donald Trump. Machado appeared remotely from Venezuela, detailing the alleged control President Nicolas Maduro wields over the dangerous Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua.

Waltz attentively noted down the claims, as Machado's team aimed to persuade Trump's advisors of Maduro's connection with criminal networks, advocating for a hawkish approach towards Venezuela. Despite conflicting U.S. intelligence, her team's persistence underscored a significant push within the opposition to seek greater U.S. intervention in Venezuelan affairs.

Consequently, Washington labeled Tren de Aragua a terrorist organization, intensifying U.S. military activities in the Caribbean. Machado's support for Trump's militarized strategy remains steadfast, although it further polarizes opinion in Venezuela, reflecting the dire stakes and complex geopolitics in the region.