Machado won an early stage of the country’s presidential election in 2023 but was blocked from contesting the final ballot, choosing to back former diplomat Edmundo González, who won the final race. Gonzalez is now based in Spain after Maduro refused to step down after losing the election.
Machado lived in hiding in Venezuela for more than a year before emerging in Oslo in December to accept the Nobel, but she did not disclose her location when she spoke to Fox News. She said she last spoke to Trump on December 10, and she dedicated the peace prize to the US president and the Venezuelan people.
US President Donald Trump addresses House Republicans in Washington on Tuesday.Credit: AP
Trump has warned in public remarks that Rodríguez would pay a “very big price” if she does not do what he wants, but this has not discouraged her from keeping two of Maduro’s top lieutenants, Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello Rondón, in office.
Cabello Rondón is named as a defendant in the US indictment against Maduro and has been blamed for the repression of civil society leaders.
“What we’re seeing right now, in the last 24 hours is really alarming,” Machado said, pointing to the detention of journalists by the interim administration in Caracas.
“Delcy Rodríguez, as you know, is one of the main architects of torture, persecution, corruption, narco trafficking.
Delcy Rodríguez has been sworn in as acting President of Venezuela.Credit: Getty Images
“She’s the main ally and liaison with Russia, China, Iran – certainly not an individual that could be trusted by international investors.”
Trump has made no promises about elections in Venezuela, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday that the priority was the security of the US and that the next steps would take time.
The US administration has sent conflicting messages about whether it is “running” the country – as Trump claimed at one point – and is yet to outline a transition to a new government.
At the same time, there are doubts about whether major US companies will invest in the oil industry because of the geopolitical risks.
Supporters in Caracas demand the return of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.Credit: AP
Machado set out her credentials as a future leader who could bring stability to the country and restore a market economy, telling Fox News she had won the 2023 ballot in a landslide and wanted a “free and fair” election.
“We will win with over 90 per cent of the votes. I have no doubt about it,” she said.
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As Trump talks about opening up the oil industry for US companies, Machado set out an agenda to turn Venezuela into a strong US ally with a market economy.
“We will turn Venezuela into the energy power of the Americas,” she said.
“We will bring rule of law. We will open markets. There will be security for people and investment.
“We will bring millions of Venezuelans, that have been forced to flee our country, back home to build a strong nation, prosperous nation, open society.
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“We will leave behind all the destruction the socialist regime, the criminal regime, has brought to our people, and turned Venezuela into the main ally of the United States in Latin America.”
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