USA Venezuela's opposition leader raves about Trump
Venezuela's opposition leader María Corina Machado has effusively thanked US President Donald Trump for the arrest of head of state Nicolás Maduro. "January 3 will go down in history as the day when justice defeated tyranny," the Nobel Peace Prize winner told US broadcaster Fox News. On that day, US units had attacked targets in Venezuela, arrested Maduro and his wife and brought them to the USA, where they are now facing trial in a court in New York for alleged drug offenses. Machado had already praised Trump in the past for his tough stance against her country.
06.01.2026, 06:44
SDA
"This is a milestone"
"This is a milestone," Machado said of Trump's actions. "And it's not only important 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, which was shared on X. In another post, she wrote that Venezuela would be "the most important ally of the United States in the areas of security, energy, democracy and human rights".
Following Maduro's arrest, she had 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 had actually won against Maduro in the presidential election a year and a half ago, which was overshadowed by allegations of fraud. He had only run in the elections because the far more popular Machado had been excluded from taking part.
However, Trump has not envisaged a leading role for her in Venezuela. "It would be very difficult for her 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. Her government continues to regard Maduro as the country's legitimate head of state.
