Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado vows to return home “as soon as possible,” praises Trump for Maduro’s capture, and rejects interim president Delcy Rodriguez as illegitimate.
Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado says she plans to return home “as soon as possible,” even as the future of her country remains deeply uncertain following the dramatic US raid that led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro. In her first televised interview since the operation, Machado — long viewed as the most credible rival to Maduro — appeared from an undisclosed location, balancing determination with vulnerability.
“I’m planning to go back to Venezuela as soon as possible,” she said in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity. “As I’ve always said, Sean, every day I make a decision where I am more useful for our cause.”
Machado left Venezuela last month to travel to Norway to accept the Nobel Prize. Since then, the political ground beneath Venezuela has shifted faster than at any time in recent history.
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A Long Struggle Against a Regime She Calls Criminal
Machado has spent years defying the Maduro government — years marked by political bans, intimidation, and long stretches in hiding.
“So it was a miracle. Everybody told us it was impossible to carry independent elections in a primary process,” she recalled of the 2023 opposition primary, where she won over 92% of the vote. “And we were able to bring the country together to carry these elections, organised by civil society, with millions of people participating.”
That success became a threat. Maduro moved to bar her from running. But Machado says the attempt to remove her voice only strengthened the movement.
“The fact is, cowardly, he feared us, he feared me, Maduro, so he thought that by banning me, he would stop us from winning,” she said.
“January 3rd Will Go Down in History”
The US raid that led to Maduro’s capture has transformed the political map — and reshaped Machado’s standing with Washington.
Machado has repeatedly credited Donald Trump for the action.
“As soon as I learned that we had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, I dedicated it to President Trump, because I believed at that point that he deserved it,” she told Hannity. “A lot of people, most people, said it was impossible to achieve what he has just done on Saturday, January 3rd.”
“So if I believe he deserved it on October—imagine now. I think he has proven to the world what he means. I mean, January 3rd will go down in history as the day Justice defeated a tyranny.”
She added that what the US president did was “a huge step for humanity, for freedom and human dignity.”
‘Want to Share Nobel Peace Prize With Trump’
Machado also revealed she hasn’t spoken to Trump recently.
“Actually, I spoke with President Trump on October 10th, the same day the prize was announced. Not since then,” she said.
Machado also admitted that she had not yet offered to give him the Nobel prize.
“It hasn’t happened yet,” she said, “but I certainly would love to be able to personally tell him that we believe, the Venezuelan people, because this is a prize of the Venezuelan people, certainly want to give it to him, and share it with him.”
Admiration — but No Political Backing
Her admiration, however, has not been fully reciprocated. Trump has publicly dismissed the idea of backing Machado, saying she doesn’t command enough support among Venezuelans. A reported CIA assessment suggested interim president Delcy Rodriguez may be better placed to maintain stability.
Machado forcefully rejects that vision.
Rodríguez, she said, “is one of the main architects of torture, persecution, corruption, narcotrafficking.” She added that Rodriguez is “really rejected, repudiated by the Venezuelan people.”
She insists the opposition would win overwhelmingly in a fair vote.
“In free and fair elections, we will win by over 90 percent of the votes, I have no doubt about it,” she said.
“A Free Venezuela Means a Security Ally”
Beyond politics, Machado speaks often about rebuilding — and restoring trust with the world.
“A free Venezuela means, first, a security ally, dismantling the criminal hub of the Americas and turning it into a security shield,” she said. “Secondly, we will turn Venezuela into the energy hub of the Americas.”
She envisions an open, lawful economy, where millions of Venezuelans forced abroad can finally return home.
A Return Filled With Risk
Despite her plans to return, the environment remains volatile. Machado warned that persecution has intensified since Maduro’s arrest.
“Just today, an executive order signed by Maduro, the same day he was arrested… mandates persecution and detention of every Venezuelan that supports President Trump’s actions,” she said. “Just today, 14 journalists have been detained. So this is very alarming.”
Yet, the resolve remains.
“But I’m planning to go as soon as possible back home,” she said quietly — determined but aware of the danger.
A Nation at a Crossroads
For now, Machado’s fate — and Venezuela’s — remains intertwined with decisions made far beyond Caracas. Whether she returns as a future leader, a dissident, or a symbol of defiance is still unclear.
But one thing she makes certain: she believes Venezuela is closer than ever to reclaiming its future.
“What he has done… is historic,” she said of Trump. “It’s a huge step towards a democratic transition.”
And as always, she insists — she will go home.
