Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado expressed strong confidence in her country’s democratic future, saying Venezuela has reached a decisive turning point after decades of authoritarian rule. Speaking at the Heritage Foundation in Washington on Friday, Machado said she believes an orderly transition to democracy is now inevitable, even if the path ahead remains complex.
“I am profoundly, profoundly confident that we will have an orderly transition,” Machado said, adding that a democratic Venezuela would likely emerge as a close ally of the United States after years of hostility between Caracas and Washington.
While striking an optimistic tone, Machado acknowledged the scale of the challenges ahead. She declined to provide a timeline for elections or her return to Venezuela, saying only that she would go back “as soon as possible.” Her remarks reflected a delicate political moment, as the United States has endorsed an interim leadership arrangement that places former Maduro loyalist Delcy Rodriguez in charge for now — a move that has sidelined Machado’s camp.
US engagement with the interim leadership has raised questions among opposition supporters, particularly as CIA Director John Ratcliffe held talks in Caracas with Rodriguez while Machado was meeting President Donald Trump in Washington. Machado dismissed suggestions of tension, insisting the regime’s remaining leadership is driven by fear rather than legitimacy.
She also rejected doubts over whether a post-Maduro leadership could control security forces long aligned with the old regime, while conceding that dismantling a 27-year power structure with deep ties to Russia and Iran would be difficult.
Machado offered few specifics about her private discussions with Trump, but struck a deferential tone, signalling trust in Washington’s role in shaping Venezuela’s transition. During her White House visit, she handed Trump her Nobel Peace Prize medal as a symbolic gesture of gratitude for his support, though the Nobel Institute later clarified that the prize itself cannot be transferred.
Despite Trump later questioning whether Machado commands sufficient support within Venezuela, she maintained her optimism, insisting that change will come through unity and persistence. Her comments underscore both the hope and uncertainty surrounding Venezuela’s path toward democracy after years of crisis and repression.
