Venezuela’s leading opposition figure, María Corina Machado, said she plans to return home “as soon as possible” following the capture of longtime rival Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces, praising U.S. President Donald Trump and declaring her movement ready to win a free national election.
In her first interview since Maduro was taken into U.S. custody over the weekend, Machado told Fox News late Monday that Venezuela is now at a critical turning point after years of authoritarian rule and economic collapse.
“We believe this transition must move forward,” Machado said. “We won an election in 2024 by a landslide under fraudulent conditions. In free and fair elections, we would win more than 90% of the vote.”
Machado, 58, a lawyer and mother of three, fled Venezuela in October disguised for her safety after authorities sought her arrest. She later traveled abroad to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, which she dedicated to Trump for what she described as decisive action against Maduro.
“I’m planning to go back to Venezuela as soon as possible,” she said, without disclosing her current location or specific travel plans. Socialist Party loyalists still control key institutions in Venezuela, and Machado remains wanted by authorities aligned with the former government.
Although Machado credited Trump with removing Maduro from power, she acknowledged she has not spoken directly with the U.S. president since October, when the Nobel award was announced.
Trump has expressed caution about holding quick elections in Venezuela, calling a proposed 30-day timeline unrealistic. “We have to fix the country first,” he told NBC News. “You can’t have an election. There’s no way the people could even vote.”
To the frustration of opposition activists and Venezuela’s large diaspora—roughly one in five Venezuelans have emigrated during years of economic turmoil—Trump has so far offered limited public endorsement of Machado’s leadership.
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Opposition groups, international observers, and several U.S. allies have said the 2024 Venezuelan election was manipulated. Machado was barred from running, and an allied candidate stood in her place. Trump, however, has questioned her domestic support.
In the interim, Washington appears open to engaging with Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s interim president and a close Maduro ally. Rodríguez has condemned Maduro’s capture as a “kidnapping” while also calling for cooperation with the United States.
Machado sharply criticized that approach, accusing Rodríguez of deep involvement in repression and corruption. “She is one of the main architects of torture, persecution, corruption, and narco-trafficking,” Machado said, adding that Rodríguez maintains close ties to Russia, China, and Iran and lacks credibility with Venezuelans and international investors.
Machado has emerged as a unifying figure for an opposition long divided by strategy and leadership disputes. Her promise to return signals a potential escalation in pressure for a civilian-led transition, even as Venezuela’s political future remains uncertain.