President Trump is scheduled to meet with Venezuelan opposition leader Machado next week

JAKARTA - US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado would be in Washington next week, indicating that he plans to meet with the Nobel Peace Prize winner.

"I understand he will come next week, and I hope to greet him," President Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity in an interview, launching Al Arabiya from AFP (9/1).

The meeting will be the first between the US president and Machado, more than a week after US forces arrested Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife and brought them to New York to face trial on drug and weapons charges.

President Trump said last week that Machado had no respect or support in Venezuela to lead the country. Since then he has suggested that Washington could effectively control Venezuela for years.

He told Fox News on Thursday that the South American country, currently led by interim President Delcy Rodriguez, was not in a position to hold new elections.

"We have to rebuild the country. They cannot hold elections," he said.

"They don't even know how to hold elections now," he added.