Trump to meet with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado

Washington announced on Monday that Venezuelan opposition figureMaria Corina Machadowill meet PresidentDonald Trumpthis week, as pressure grew on the interim leadership in Caracas to speed up the release of political prisoners.

Machado has been sidelined by Washington since US forcesseized long-time authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduroon January 3 and the Trump administration announced it would be running Venezuel