Machado Credits Trump for Opening 'Floodgate to Freedom'

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado thanked the United States for detaining President Nicolas Maduro in January, calling the action a step toward freedom. Machado made the comments after returning to Venezuela from 0 months in exile.

Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, named US President Donald Trump, his administration, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as responsible for the operation that led to Maduro's capture. She also mentioned that she gave Trump her Nobel medal, which he has long sought.

Despite her praise for Trump, Machado noted that interim leader Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro's former deputy, remains the preferred choice of the current administration. Rodriguez reiterated her commitment to holding elections without specifying a timeline.

Machado, who returned to Venezuela in December to receive her Nobel Prize, said she came back to 'mobilise society.' She stated that Rubio's actions are part of a plan to move toward a democratic transition, with presidential elections scheduled for 2027.

Machado criticized a recent oil deal between Venezuela and the United States, which involves Venezuela handing over 20 percent of its oil reserves to the US. She argued the agreement lacks the transparency Venezuela's society demands.

Rodriguez, the interim leader, expressed dissatisfaction with the public celebration of Machado's return, saying the fanfare could have been avoided. She emphasized the need for elections 'with the world as witness,' without setting a specific date.