Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has said she believes she will be elected president of her country when the “right time” comes. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate made the remarks during an interview aired on Fox News.
“There’s a mission, and we are going to turn Venezuela into that land of grace, and I believe I will be elected when the right time comes as president of Venezuela, the first woman president,” Machado said.
Machado’s international tour after Nobel Peace Prize win
Machado is currently touring Europe and the United States after reemerging in December to accept her Nobel Peace Prize in Norway. Her return to the public spotlight follows years of political pressure and repression faced by Venezuela’s opposition.
US policy shift seen as setback for opposition
For years, Venezuela’s opposition, backed by successive Republican and Democratic administrations in the United States, had vowed to replace President Nicolás Maduro and restore democracy in the oil-rich nation.
However, opposition leaders suffered a major setback after US President Donald Trump allowed Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, to assume control. Most prominent opposition figures, including Machado, are now either in exile or imprisoned.
Machado dedicates Nobel prize to Trump and Venezuelans
After winning the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, Machado said she would like to give or share the honour with Trump. She dedicated the prize to him and to the people of Venezuela shortly after the announcement.
Trump has openly expressed his desire to win the Nobel Peace Prize himself since returning to office.
Barred from election, Machado replaced by Edmundo Gonzalez
Machado had won an opposition primary election and planned to challenge President Maduro in last year’s presidential race. However, the Venezuelan government barred her from running for office.
Retired diplomat Edmundo Gonzalez was named as her replacement candidate.
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