Venezuelan opposition figure and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado has vowed to return to her homeland “as soon as possible”, as her country faces ongoing political uncertainty in the wake of the ousting of longtime leader Nicolás Maduro. The announcement, her first substantive public statement since major political upheavals over the weekend, underscores her intention to play a central role in Venezuela’s future.
Machado made the declaration Monday during an interview with U.S. broadcaster Sean Hannity on Fox News, speaking from an undisclosed location. “I’m planning to go back to Venezuela as soon as possible,” she said, signaling her resolve to resume her political struggle on the ground rather than remain in exile.
In her remarks, Machado did not shy away from criticism of the country’s current interim leadership. She specifically rejected Delcy Rodríguez, the figure installed as interim president following Maduro’s removal, describing her as “one of the main architects of torture, persecution, corruption, narcotrafficking.” Machado said Rodríguez is widely “rejected” by the Venezuelan people and asserted that ordinary citizens support democratic alternatives.
She also expressed unwavering confidence in opposition prospects in a free electoral process:
“In free and fair elections, we will win by over 90 percent of the votes, I have no doubt about it,” Machado said, reflecting her belief in broad popular support for her movement.
Machado outlined broad plans for her homeland’s reconstruction, suggesting that once democratic governance is restored, Venezuela could become a major energy hub in the Americas and promising to dismantle criminal networks that have undermined national stability and prosperity. She also vowed to facilitate the return of Venezuelan exiles, many of whom have fled economic collapse and political repression in recent years.
Her aspirations echo broader calls among opposition leaders for sweeping political and socioeconomic change, and her Nobel Peace Prize has elevated her international profile as a symbol of resistance to authoritarian rule.
Machado’s comments come amid rapidly shifting international dynamics involving Venezuela. Her pledge to return follows what many observers describe as a dramatic political crisis sparked by U.S. military action that resulted in Maduro’s removal from power this weekend, a development that has fueled debate and diplomatic concern around the world.
Despite vocal support from some quarters of the U.S. political establishment, Machado acknowledged in the same interview that she has not spoken with U.S. President Donald Trump since October 2025, the day her Nobel Prize was announced, and that recent policy positions in Washington have not always aligned with her own vision for Venezuela’s transition.
Machado’s return plans inject further urgency into Venezuela’s fraught power struggle. While she advocates for democratic elections and a popular mandate, the interim leadership in Caracas has signaled a willingness to maintain cooperation with international stakeholders, complicating the political landscape.
As Maduro faces legal proceedings abroad and opponents position themselves for renewed political engagement, Machado’s pledge to return home could prove pivotal in shaping Venezuela’s next chapter, one defined by competing visions for leadership, governance, and national identity.
