Dutch U.S. ambassador sends Venezuelan opposition leader’s plane back during the flight
Dutch Ambassador to the United States Birgitta Tazelaar withdrew permission for Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado to travel through Curaçao on her way back to Venezuela. This forced her aircraft to turn to Manassas, Virginia, midflight, according to U.S. news outlet Axios.
Tazelaar had approved Machado’s flight to Curaçao on June 24 after earthquakes struck Venezuela. From Curaçao, Machado planned to continue to neighboring Venezuela. Machado does not have a valid passport and depended on Dutch cooperation for the route. She is currently living in exile in the United States.
The Dutch ambassador reversed the decision after receiving conflicting information about whether the United States supported Machado’s return. According to Axios, Tazelaar believed the trip had been approved by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio after receiving that message from U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Chris Landau. However, that information was incorrect.
Machado, shocked by the reversal, called Rubio but was unable to convince him to allow the trip to continue. U.S. officials had concerns about Machado returning to Venezuela. They considered it unwise for her to gain political visibility by taking part in earthquake relief efforts. They also wanted to avoid the appearance that the United States was actively supporting and protecting her.
Although Machado has praised President Donald Trump, the White House views her as a potential obstacle in Venezuela. After the United States captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was placed in power in Caracas. Rodríguez has closer ties with Washington but is unpopular among Machado’s supporters.
On June 25, Tazelaar became uncertain about the U.S. approval and contacted Mike Kozak, the head of the State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs. Kozak explained the official U.S. position.
A source who spoke with Kozak said the Dutch ambassador appeared “totally confused” because she had received a different message from the U.S. State Department the previous day.
Axios reported that Tazelaar withdrew the approval while Machado’s plane was already in flight. The aircraft was forced to return to Manassas, Virginia.
The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to answer questions when contacted by NOS about the matter. A spokesperson said: “We do not comment.”
Landau later said he had been misunderstood by the Dutch ambassador. However, he reportedly communicated the same way the following day to Panama’s foreign minister.
Machado later traveled to Panama. From there, another attempt to fly to Venezuela was blocked after U.S. officials again raised objections.
The dispute appears to reflect internal divisions within the U.S. State Department. Landau, the department’s No. 2 official, is a strong supporter of Machado, while Rubio has moved away from supporting her as he seeks more effective dealings with Venezuela’s new leaders.
Machado left Venezuela in December last year, when Maduro was still president, to travel to Oslo to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. She later planned to symbolically give the prize to Trump as a gesture of thanks for Maduro’s capture.
The Netherlands played a key role in Machado’s escape from Venezuela in December. After leaving the country disguised with a wig, Machado traveled by speedboat to Curaçao. She then transferred to a plane bound for Oslo.
