Wednesday, January 7, 2026 - Venezuela’s main opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, has vowed to return home soon, praising 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 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.”
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