EXPLAINED | Why Trump picked Maduro ally Delcy Rodriguez over Nobel winner Machado to run Venezuela

After Nicolas Maduro was removed from power, many expected the U.S. to immediately rally behind Venezuela’s opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. Instead, President Trump made a controversial choice, backing Maduro loyalist Delcy Rodríguez to lead a fragile transition. Despite Machado’s Nobel Peace Prize, international support, and open praise for Trump, the US president publicly questioned her ability to govern, citing a lack of support and respect inside Venezuela.