Why Venezuela's Opposition Leader Machado Is Trying Hard To Charm Donald Trump | Explained

In a striking and candid public statement following her high-profile Washington visit, Venezuela's opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado openly expressed her long-held ambition to become president.

Speaking on Fox News shortly after meeting Donald Trump on January 15, 2026, she declared, "I believe I will be elected when the right time comes as president of Venezuela—the first woman president." This bold confession came amid the chaotic post-Maduro transition, where the U.S.-backed interim leadership under Delcy Rodríguez has sidelined her despite the opposition's claims to the 2024 electoral mandate.

Machado framed her pursuit not as personal ambition but as a mission to restore democracy, rebuild institutions, and transform Venezuela into a "land of grace," emphasizing her enduring popular support and determination to lead once conditions align for free and fair elections.