Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar met on Tuesday with Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado.
In a post on social media following the meeting, Sa’ar wrote, “María Corina Machado is a courageous woman, and her struggle is a source of inspiration to many in Venezuela and beyond. We discussed developments in Venezuela since the historic US Operation 'Absolute Resolve', led by President Trump."
“I wish the people of Venezuela that they may soon be able to choose their leadership in free elections, after the long years of repression under Maduro and Chávez," added the Foreign Minister.
Machado also commented on the meeting in a post of her own, writing, “Dear Minister Sa’ar, I am truly grateful for the opportunity to engage in an extensive conversation about the challenges and opportunities we face in a process that is already moving Venezuela toward democracy."
“Our country will be a reliable and stable partner for the world’s democracies and will offer major opportunities for investment and exchange. Venezuela’s reintegration into the democratic world will also allow us to build global alliances in the face of those who threaten our security" she wrote.
“Israel and Venezuela have historically shared very close ties, which we will reclaim and strengthen in this new era of democracy and freedom," concluded Machado.
Last month, Machado met with US President Donald Trump in Washington and presented him with her Nobel Peace Prize medal.
Trump has openly expressed his desire to win the Nobel Peace Prize, but was passed over for it in favor of Machado, who dedicated it to him when she received it.
Machado expressed her desire to give or share her award with Trump, but the Nobel Committee had clarified that the Peace Prize is untransferable.