Venezuelan opposition leader and this year's Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado confirmed today that she plans to return "as soon as possible" to her homeland, Agence France-Presse reported, quoted by BTA.
“I plan to return to Venezuela as soon as possible”, Machado told the American television channel “Fox News” and spoke in detail about her political project, although she does not enjoy the support of US President Donald Trump.
Without revealing her whereabouts, the opposition leader, who has been in hiding for more than a year, sharply also criticized Delcy Rodriguez, who was sworn in as interim president of Venezuela yesterday, and described her as “one of the main architects of the torture, persecution, corruption and drug trafficking“ attributed to the government in Caracas.
Rodriguez has shown her willingness to cooperate with Washington, but Machado pointed out that she has been “rejected“ by Venezuelans.
“In free and fair elections, we will win with over 90% of the vote, I have no doubt about that“, the opposition leader also said.
She welcomed the American operation in Venezuela and described Donald Trump's actions as “historic”, even offering to “award“ and “share“ his Nobel Peace Prize with him.
On Saturday, Trump said that does not consider Machado suitable to take over from ousted President Nicolas Maduro, saying she “does not (enjoy) support and respect in her country“.
Shortly before the US president's press conference on Saturday, she called on her ally Edmundo Gonzalez - a retired diplomat believed to have won the disputed 2024 presidential election - “to immediately assume his constitutional mandate and be recognized as commander-in-chief (of the armed forces)“.