US Accuses Machado of Exploiting Venezuela Earthquake for Political Gain

The administration of US President Donald Trump has accused Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado of engaging in a ‘political action’ after she recently failed to return to Venezuela in the wake of a devastating earthquake, according to a report by The New York Times. Bloomberg reported on Sunday that Machado had travelled to Curacao, an autonomous constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Southern Caribbean, intending to proceed to Venezuela. Her attempt, which was assisted by a private security firm, was aborted after the US government warned that she would not receive support from Washington. Dutch authorities subsequently denied Machado entry to Curacao without backing from the US. While the US may support Machado’s return to Venezuela at a later date, a State Department official cited in media reports on Tuesday described her latest request as a ‘political action’. The official praised the Venezuelan authorities’ response to the earthquake and noted that they had fulfilled all requests made by the US. Furthermore, Washington believes that Machado’s return could jeopardise the Trump administration’s efforts to deepen its alliance with Venezuela’s Acting President, Delcy Rodriguez, according to the report citing officials and sources close to the White House. Following the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on Wednesday, Machado sought to re-enter the political scene by sending letters to the US State Department and Congress, requesting their support to facilitate her return. However, US officials expressed displeasure at Machado’s perceived impatience and her apparent desire to exploit the disaster for her own political advantage. The powerful twin earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, struck Venezuela last week. According to the latest official data, the death toll has reached 1,943, with more than 10,500 people injured.