Venezuela’s main opposition figure, Maria Corina Machado, has pledged to return to the country soon following the capture of President Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces, positioning herself as a central voice in a turbulent political transition shaped by Washington’s decisions and deep divisions at home.
Speaking in her first interview since Maduro’s arrest in Caracas, Machado said she intends to re-enter Venezuela quickly while advocating for a democratic process that she says would overwhelmingly favor her movement.
She escaped the country in October in disguise to accept the Nobel Peace Prize and has since remained outside Venezuela, with her precise location undisclosed.
“I’m planning to go back to Venezuela as soon as possible,” Machado said in an interview with Fox News.
Her comments came as U.S. President Donald Trump signaled caution about rushing toward elections, arguing that Venezuela’s institutional collapse must be addressed first.
Trump has suggested a short election timeline is unrealistic and has expressed openness to working with interim President Delcy Rodriguez and other senior officials linked to the former government.
This stance has unsettled opposition supporters and a large Venezuelan diaspora that largely views Machado as the legitimate victor of the 2024 opposition movement.
Despite Maduro’s detention in the United States, loyalists of the ruling Socialist Party continue to control key levers of power inside Venezuela.
Authorities have ordered arrests of those accused of collaborating with the U.S. operation, while security forces have increased their presence in Caracas.
The government has reported casualties among the armed forces but has not released an official death toll related to the operation.
Machado remains under investigation in Venezuela on accusations of inciting military insurrection, complicating her return.
Her Vente Venezuela movement has called for the immediate release of nearly 900 political prisoners as a first step toward restoring democracy.
In Washington, intelligence officials have reportedly advised that cooperation with figures such as Rodriguez could help preserve stability during the transition.
Trump’s actions have drawn condemnation from Russia, China, and Venezuela’s leftist allies, while some U.S. partners have urged respect for international law.
Maduro has pleaded not guilty to U.S. narcotics charges, asserting his legitimacy as head of state.
As Venezuela’s oil sector remains constrained by sanctions and declining output, global markets and governments are closely watching how power, legitimacy, and economic control will be reshaped in the post-Maduro period.