Machado
Machado vows to lead Venezuela when time is right
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has said she will lead her country “when the right time comes” and expressed confidence that she will one day become Venezuela’s first woman president.
Speaking to Fox News, Machado said she believes she has a mission to rebuild Venezuela and turn it into a prosperous nation. “I believe I will be elected when the right time comes as president of Venezuela,” she said.
Her remarks came a day after she presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to US President Donald Trump in Washington, calling it a recognition of his support for Venezuela’s freedom.
Earlier this month, the United States seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas and took him to New York to face drug and weapons charges. However, Trump has not endorsed Machado as Venezuela’s new leader, saying she lacks enough domestic support.
Trump has instead engaged with Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez, who previously served as vice president under Maduro.
Machado said she has a mandate from the people and wants to serve her country in the most effective way. During her visit to Washington, she also met US senators at Congress as her supporters chanted “María, presidente” and waved Venezuelan flags.
Meanwhile, Rodríguez held talks in Caracas with the CIA director on improving relations between the two countries. She later said Venezuela would face the US through political dialogue and announced oil sector reforms to attract foreign investment.
With inputs from BBC
13 days ago
Venezuela’s Machado says she wants to share Nobel Peace Prize with Trump
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado says she wants to share her Nobel Peace Prize with U.S. President Donald Trump, praising his administration’s military action that led to the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro, even as she acknowledged she has not spoken to Trump since October.
Speaking on Fox News’ Hannity on Monday, Machado described Maduro’s capture as “a huge step for humanity, for freedom, and human dignity,” and said her decision to dedicate the Nobel Prize to Trump was based on her belief that he deserved it, reports Al Jazeera.
Read More: Machado’s daughter receives Nobel Peace Prize in her absence
“I dedicated it to President Trump because I believed, at that time, that he deserved it,” Machado said. “Now, after deposing Maduro, he has proven to the world what he means.”
Machado said she last spoke with Trump on October 10, the day the Nobel Peace Prize was announced. “Not since then,” she said, adding that she hopes to thank him personally.
“On behalf of the Venezuelan people, how grateful we are for his courageous vision, the historical actions he has taken against this narcoterrorist regime.”
Read More: Nobel Peace Prize for Maria Corina Machado sparks outcry over Israel ties
The right-wing opposition figure welcomed Trump’s remarks about U.S. energy interests in Venezuela, saying the country could become an “energy hub” for the United States. “We will bring rule of law, we will open markets, we will bring security for investments,” she said.
Trump, however, later questioned Machado’s political standing, telling reporters she “doesn’t have the support or the respect” to lead Venezuela. Following Maduro’s removal, former Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as interim leader.
Machado won 93 percent of the opposition’s 2023 primary vote but was barred from running for president, forcing her into hiding for more than a year. After traveling to Norway to accept the Nobel Prize, her current whereabouts remain unknown. She said she plans to return to Venezuela “as soon as possible.”
23 days ago