Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has pledged to return to the country as soon as possible and rejected the authority of Delcy Rodríguez, the interim president backed by the United States after the removal of Nicolás Maduro. In an interview with Fox News, Machado praised Donald Trump for toppling Maduro but expressed frustration at being sidelined.
Machado, who won the 2024 election by a landslide under what she described as fraudulent conditions, said her movement is ready to win a free and fair election. She accused Rodríguez of being involved in torture, persecution, corruption, and narco-trafficking, and claimed repression has increased since the weekend.
The 58-year-old industrial engineer said she has not spoken to Trump since October 10, the day she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. However, she expressed gratitude on behalf of the Venezuelan people for Trump's actions against the regime. Reports suggest Trump backed Rodríguez after CIA briefings indicated Machado would struggle to gain legitimacy, while other sources claim Trump was irritated that Machado accepted the Nobel prize.
Trump has indicated a willingness to work with Rodríguez and Maduro's former team, provided they comply with US demands on oil. He has dismissed the possibility of elections within 30 days. Meanwhile, a decree signed by Maduro before his arrest has declared a state of emergency, ordering the militarisation of public services and the suspension of assembly and protest rights.
