01/06/2026, 07:4801/06/2026, 07:48
Venezuela’s opposition leader María Corina Machado has thanked US President Donald Trump profusely for the arrest of head of state Nicolás Maduro. “January 3rd will go down in history as the day on which justice defeated tyranny,” the Nobel Peace Prize winner told US broadcaster Fox News. That day, US units attacked targets in Venezuela, arrested Maduro and his wife and brought them to the USA, where they now have to answer in a court in New York for alleged drug offenses. Machado had already praised Trump in the past for his tough course against her country.
María Corina Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025.Image: keystone
“This is a milestone”
“This is a milestone,” Machado said of Trump’s actions. “And this is not only of great importance for the Venezuelan people and our future. I think it’s a big step for humanity, for freedom and for human dignity,” she enthused in the video excerpt of the conversation with Fox News that was distributed on X. In another post, she wrote that Venezuela “will be the United States’ most important ally in the areas of security, energy, democracy and human rights.”
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado told Fox News:
“I’m planning to go back to Venezuela as soon as possible. Every day I make a decision about where I am more useful for our cause. That’s why I stayed in hiding for over 16 months, and that’s why I decided to go… pic.twitter.com/SPiZ0IWsEQ
— OSINT Spectator (@osint1117) January 6, 2026
After Maduro’s arrest, she called for the appointment of opposition politician Edmundo González Urrutia as the new head of state. According to the opposition and international observers, the 76-year-old former diplomat actually won against Maduro in the presidential election a year and a half ago, which was overshadowed by allegations of fraud. He only ran in the elections because the much more popular Machado had been excluded from taking part.
The opposition leader from Venezuela: Edmundo González Urrutia.Image: keystone
However, Trump did not plan for them to play a major role in Venezuela. “It would be very difficult for them to lead. She doesn’t have the support and respect in the country,” he said recently. Meanwhile, Maduro’s loyal successor Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as acting president. Your government continues to view Maduro as the country’s legitimate head of state. (sda/dpa)