Venezuela’s main opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, has vowed to return home soon, praising U.S. President Donald Trump for toppling Nicolas Maduro and declaring her movement ready to win a free election.
“I’m planning to go back to Venezuela as soon as possible,” said Machado, 58, a lawyer and mother of three, who fled the country in October to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, which she dedicated to Trump.
“We believe this transition should move forward,” she told Fox News. “We won an election in 2024 by a landslide under fraudulent conditions. In free and fair elections, we will win over 90% of the votes.”
Machado has not spoken to Trump since October 10, when the Nobel award was announced. The U.S. president has emphasized that Venezuela’s problems must be addressed before new elections, calling a 30-day timeline unrealistic. “We have to fix the country first. There’s no way the people could even vote,” Trump told NBC.
In her first interview since Maduro’s capture, Machado did not reveal her current location or specific plans to return. Socialist Party loyalists remain in power, and she is wanted in Venezuela. Trump’s administration appears to be working with interim President Delcy Rodriguez, a Maduro ally, rather than backing Machado directly.
“Delcy Rodriguez is one of the main architects of torture, persecution, corruption, and narco-trafficking,” Machado said. “She is a key ally of Russia, China, and Iran, rejected by the Venezuelan people, and cannot be trusted by international investors.”
Machado, who has revitalized Venezuela’s often fractured opposition, praised Trump for the raid that ousted Maduro. “January 3rd will go down in history as the day justice defeated a tyranny,” she said.
“On behalf of the Venezuelan people, we are grateful for his courageous vision and the historic actions he has taken against this narco-terrorist regime. It’s a huge step toward a democratic transition.”