House Foreign Affairs members endorse María Corina Machado and press for elections

Members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday exited a closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill endorsing María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader, and urging prompt free and fair elections. Representative Michael McCaul, Republican of Texas, said she had “all the right stuff” to be Venezuela’s next president and called for “free and fair elections,” adding, “We look forward to working with her.” Representative Mike Lawler, Republican of New York, said, “She is exactly the leader to lead Venezuela forward.” Representative Brian Mast, the Republican chairman of the panel, said he was “hard pressed to see that there’s somebody else with a greater vision” and that the United States would play a role when Venezuela holds its next election because the “stakes are huge,” with the country being “in our backyard.” The meeting lasted over an hour and an audible burst of applause was heard outside the room; Ms.

Machado had met earlier with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Republicans and Democrats on Tuesday called for prompt elections to replace Nicolás Maduro, the longtime authoritarian leader seized by the U.S. military. Their unified call contrasted with President Trump’s dismissal of Ms.

Machado as a potential leader; Mr. Trump said she was “a very nice woman” but “doesn’t have the respect” to govern and has focused on oil and on working with Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s interim leader. Representative Gregory Meeks, the panel’s top Democrat, said Ms.

Key Topics

Politics, María Corina Machado, Venezuela, Capitol Hill, Foreign Affairs Committee, Nicolás Maduro