Jan 16, 2026, 3:44 p.mJan 16, 2026, 3:44 p.m
Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado wants to become president of the South American country. “I want to serve my country where I am most useful,” said the 58-year-old in an interview with the US television channel Fox News. “I believe I will be elected president of Venezuela when the time is right.”
The Venezuelan opposition wants to become Venezuela’s next president.Image: keystone
After the authoritarian head of state Nicolás Maduro was captured by US elite soldiers almost two weeks ago, Machado initially called for the appointment of opposition politician Edmundo González Urrutia as his successor. According to the opposition and international observers, the 76-year-old former diplomat actually won the 2024 presidential election.
Machado is a strong woman in the Venezuelan opposition
Despite the fraud allegations, Maduro was sworn in for a third term and González went into exile in Spain. The driving force behind his campaign was already the much more popular Machado, who, however, was not allowed to run in the election because of alleged irregularities.
Trump has doubts about Machado’s support in Venezuela
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump seems to be focusing on continuity in Venezuela and described the new acting president Delcy Rodríguez – a close confidante of Maduro – as a great person. Machado lacks the support and respect in Venezuela to lead the country, he said shortly after the US attack on Caracas.
New Executive President Delcy Rodríguez.Image: keystone
On Friday, Machado visited Trump at the White House and presented him with her Nobel Prize medal with a dedication honoring the US president’s commitment to Venezuela’s freedom. At the same time, the US government reiterated that it stands by its assessment of Machado’s lack of support in Venezuela. (sda/dpa)