Trump admin blasts Machado's "grotesque political opportunism" after Venezuela quakes

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado attempted to return to Venezuela after last week's earthquakes that killed more than seventeen hundred people. The Trump administration is outraged, with officials calling her return efforts 'grotesque political opportunism.' According to Axios, Machado tried two separate flights into Venezuela — one Friday rerouted mid-flight from Curacao, another Sunday blocked by Copa Airlines from Panama. The State Department says she's creating unnecessary drama while they conduct earthquake relief. The backstory: Nicolas Maduro was ousted by the U.S. on January third after Machado's opposition party defeated him in an election he stole. Maduro's vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, now leads the country, but no presidential election date has been set. Officials say Machado has been lobbying Secretary of State Marco Rubio and others to help her return, but her aggressive advocacy is backfiring. One official said Rubio 'is at wit's end.' While Machado released a video saying she wants to accompany Venezuelans, State Department officials counter that with tens of thousands living in tents, she's using this tragedy as a political tool.

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