A reported internal dispute inside the Trump administration has exposed growing tensions over U.S. policy toward Venezuela. It revolves around Deputy Secretary of State Chris Landau, who is suspected by senior administration officials of repeatedly misrepresenting Washington's position on exiled Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado about her return to the country.
According to a recent Axios report, at least seven senior administration officials believe Landau acted independently by conveying to foreign governments that the United States supported Machado's efforts to return to Venezuela following the devastating June 24 earthquakes, even though the administration's official policy was remaining neutral and discouraging her return.
