Doral, a city west of downtown Miami that is home to one of the largest Venezuelan communities in the United States, will rename a street in honor of opposition leader María Corina Machado, who is currently touring the country.
A section of an avenue near the U.S. Southern Command office in Doral will be called “María Corina Machado Way,” according to a statement, “in honor of her unwavering commitment to democracy, freedom, and human rights.”
The tribute in South Florida contrasts sharply with the cooler welcome she has received from the White House since Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro was captured in Caracas on drug trafficking charges.
While Machado met with U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday in Washington, the visit was low-key, with no joint press conference and few official photos. During the visit, she presented him with her recently awarded Nobel Peace Prize medal, which drew mixed reactions from her supporters.
Trump described her as a “wonderful woman who has been through a lot,” but did not suggest she should lead a transition to democracy in the country. She was later warmly received by members of the Venezuelan community in Washington.
Just a day earlier, Trump had highlighted a “very good” call with Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s vice president who currently heads the Venezuelan government.
Venezuelans in Doral quickly took to the streets on January 3 to celebrate the fall of Nicolás Maduro, after a U.S. military operation captured him and his wife at their home in Caracas and transferred them to New York to face trial on the charges against them.
