Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has publicly thanked the United States administration for removing President Nicolas Maduro from power, praising the intervention during her first news conference since returning from more than ten months in exile.
Speaking in Caracas on Thursday, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate commended U.S. President Donald Trump, his administration, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for their decisive actions. “Thanks to their vision, their courage, and their action on January 3, the floodgate to freedom has been opened,” Machado told reporters, referring to the operation that removed Maduro.
Machado credited Rubio with outlining a sequence of events designed to facilitate a democratic transition, emphasizing that these plans should culminate in presidential elections next year. The longtime activist fled Venezuela for Oslo in December to accept the Nobel Peace Prize—an honor she subsequently presented to Trump. She stated that her return to the country is intended to “mobilise society.”
Her escape from Venezuela involved U.S. special forces veterans from an organization called Grey Bull Rescue, who assisted her departure by boat after she spent a year hiding from the Maduro regime. Upon arriving back in the country on Sunday, Machado was welcomed by cheering crowds of supporters along her motorcade route.
The public reception drew criticism from Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro’s former vice president who has governed the nation since his removal. “The show could have been avoided – the airports are right here,” Rodriguez said during a broadcast on state television.
Shortly before Machado’s remarks, Rodriguez assured the public that elections would take place in Venezuela “with the world as witness,” though she omitted any specific date. When questioned about a potential meeting with Rodriguez, the opposition leader indicated she had received no communication from her or from Washington.
Machado also addressed a recent controversial oil agreement under which Venezuela will transfer 20 percent of its extensive oil reserves to the United States. Criticizing the pact, Machado stated, “This agreement does not reflect the levels of transparency that Venezuelan society wants.”
