Venezuelan opposition figure Machado pledges quick return, rejects interim leadership following Maduro’s removal

WASHINGTON, Jan 7 — Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said on Monday that she intends to return to her country “as soon as possible,” while rejecting the legitimacy of the interim president who took over after Nicolas Maduro was ousted from power.

Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, made the remarks in an interview with US broadcaster Fox News, marking her first public comments beyond social media since the US military removed Maduro on Saturday. She spoke from an undisclosed location.

“I am planning to go back to Venezuela as soon as possible,” she said.

She also dismissed interim president Delcy Rodriguez, accusing her of being “one of the main architects of torture, persecution, corruption and narcotrafficking.” Rodriguez previously served as Maduro’s vice president and has indicated a willingness to cooperate with Washington.

Machado said Rodriguez lacks public support, insisting the Venezuelan people stand firmly with the opposition. “In free and fair elections, we will win by more than 90 percent of the votes. I have no doubt about it,” she said.

She pledged to transform Venezuela into “the energy hub of the Americas,” dismantle criminal networks, and encourage millions of Venezuelans who fled the country to return home.

US President Donald Trump, however, has played down Machado’s prospects of leading the country, saying she does not command sufficient “respect” to govern. Trump has expressed interest in working with Rodriguez and other members of Maduro’s former administration, provided they meet US demands related to oil.

During the interview, Machado also said the Venezuelan people would be willing to share her Nobel Prize with Trump, an accolade he has long sought. “What he has done is historic. It’s a huge step toward a democratic transition,” she said.

Machado added that she has not spoken with Trump since October 10. — AFP