US President Donald Trump on Tuesday singled out Venezuelan opposition figure Maria Corina Machado for praise, suggesting she could be involved in future efforts with Washington.
"I felt so strongly against Venezuela, now I'm loving Venezuela. They've been working with us so well, it's been so nice and an unbelievably nice woman also did a very incredible thing, as you know, a few days ago," Trump told reporters at a White House briefing.
"We're talking to her. Maybe we can get her involved in some way. I'd love to be able to do that Maria. Maybe we can do that."
Machado, the Nobel Peace Prize recipient, said she gifted her medal to Trump at the White House last week.
Machado's meetings in Washington followed a US military operation ordered by Trump that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores on Jan. 3.
Delcy Rodriguez, formerly vice president and oil minister, was sworn in as interim president after a US military operation following months of escalating tensions about alleged drug trafficking.
Oil companies are getting ready to make "massive investments" in Venezuela, he said.
"Now we have a great relationship with Venezuela. We're getting along fantastically with the leadership in Venezuela," said the president.
Trump claimed that Maduro killed millions of people in the US "through drugs."
The "tremendous drug dealer also sent millions of people into our country," he added.
