Oil investors need democratic Venezuela for stability, opposition leader says

Machado, who has been outside Venezuela since late last year, when she left after living in hiding in order to receive her Nobel, has taken pains for years to develop close ties with the Trump administration, which removed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a January raid. His former vice president, Rodriguez, has been at the helm since.

U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has historically been close with Machado, have this week defended Washington's oil deal, casting it as part of a process to align Venezuela's energy industry with the U.S. while helping rebuild a nation ravaged by corruption, and said that the time is still not right for elections.

"I just don't think they're ready yet. You know, it's very new. We took them out of a dictatorship, and we're getting along great with the government," U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters on Wednesday, praising Rodriguez. "But soon. We look forward to doing it, and soon."