Machado vows to lead Venezuela ‘when right time comes’
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has vowed to govern the country “when the time is right.”
“There is a mission, and we will transform Venezuela into that land of blessings, and I believe that when the time is right, I will be elected president as the first female president of Venezuela,” she told Fox News.
His comments come a day after that President awards Nobel Peace Prize medal to Donald Trumphe described it as recognition of his commitment to Venezuelan freedom.
The United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas on January 3 and sent him to New York to face various drug and weapons charges.
But Trump rejected his endorsement of Machado as Venezuela’s new leader, saying Machado did not have enough domestic support even though the opposition movement claimed victory in widely contested elections in 2024.
Instead, he was dealing with Delcy Rodríguez, who is Maduro’s vice president and became the country’s interim president on Friday. Had a two-hour meeting with the CIA director It was aimed at building trust and communication between the two countries “at the direction of President Trump,” according to a US official.
“Director Ratcliffe discussed potential opportunities for economic cooperation and argued that Venezuela can no longer be a safe haven for America’s enemies,” the US official said.
Speaking at an event in Washington DC on Friday, Machado said he was confident there would be an “orderly transition” in his country.
“The result of a stable transition will be a proud Venezuela that will be the best ally the United States has ever had in America,” he said.
Describing himself as “just one member of a movement of millions of Venezuelans,” he added, “This has nothing to do with the tension between Delcy Rodríguez and me, it has to do with the criminal structure: this is the regime and the Venezuelan people.”
He also visited Congress to meet with US senators during his visit to Washington; His statements to journalists were drowned out by his supporters, who chanted “María, Presidente” and waved Venezuelan flags.
Meanwhile, in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, Rodríguez gave the union’s first status speech since taking office as interim president.
He said he was not afraid to confront the United States “diplomatically through political dialogue.”
Rodríguez also said Venezuela must defend its “dignity and dignity” and announced oil industry reforms that would allow more foreign investment, a step away from Maduro’s policies.
After the two spoke by phone on Wednesday, Trump called Rodríguez “an amazing person”; The Venezuelan leader described the speech as “productive and kind.”
The following day, the US president called Machado “a wonderful woman who has been through so much” and described her gift of the Nobel Peace Prize medal as “a wonderful gesture of mutual respect”.
