Machado says Venezuela entering ‘true transition to democracy’ as U.S. backs Rodriguez; Nobel medal gesture to Trump draws scrutiny
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said the country is beginning a “true transition to democracy” and called for free and fair elections “as soon as possible,” using a Washington appearance to press her case for broad participation at the polls.
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“We are definitely now into the first steps of a true transition to democracy,” Machado said, adding that the shift would have “an immense impact in the lives of all Venezuelans” and ripple across the region and the world.
Machado, 58, also insisted she will be elected president “when the right time comes,” despite the United States’ decision to sideline her after a Jan. 3 U.S. military operation to seize President Nicolas Maduro. President Donald Trump has thrown support behind Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro’s former vice president, as interim leader of the oil-rich nation following that operation, according to the account given in Washington.
Machado’s party has presented what it says is evidence that Maduro stole the 2024 election — claims backed by Washington and much of the international community. Trump, however, has said Machado lacks sufficient support among Venezuelans and opted to stick with Rodriguez so long as she follows U.S. priorities on access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.
In a striking gesture, Machado said she presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to Trump during a White House lunch, calling it “a very emotional moment” and saying she made the move “on behalf of the people of Venezuela.” It was not immediately clear whether Trump kept the award; the Norwegian Nobel Committee says its prizes cannot be transferred. Trump had openly campaigned to win last year’s prize for what he describes as efforts to stop eight wars. The prize instead went to Machado, who appeared in Oslo last month after what she described as a daring escape from Venezuela by boat.
Rodriguez, meanwhile, signaled defiance toward Washington. “We know they are very powerful… we are not afraid to confront them diplomatically, through political dialogue,” she said. She delivered Maduro’s state of the nation address to parliament while the long-time leader is in a New York jail facing drug trafficking charges. “If I should visit Washington,” Rodriguez added, “I will do so with my head held high, walking, not on my knees.”
Trump and Rodriguez held their first phone call Wednesday, and the White House said the president “likes what he’s seeing” from her. The New York Times reported that CIA Director John Ratcliffe met Rodriguez, describing the encounter as a further sign that Washington views her as its favored short-term leader. Acting at Trump’s direction, Ratcliffe delivered a message that the United States looks forward to improved relations, with discussions covering intelligence cooperation, economic stability and ending Venezuela’s role as a “safe haven for America’s adversaries, especially narco-traffickers,” a U.S. official told the paper.
Machado, who has campaigned for years to end Maduro’s rule, was greeted by jubilant supporters in Washington. “I want to serve my country where I am more useful. I got a mandate, and I have that mandate,” she told Fox, reiterating her intention to compete when elections are set.
With Washington backing Rodriguez and Machado rallying international support, Venezuela’s political future remains unsettled. There is no immediate timetable for new elections, but both the opposition’s renewed push and the United States’ engagement have intensified pressure for a process that international monitors would recognize as credible. For now, Machado’s vow of a “true transition to democracy” and her high-profile overture to Trump underscore the increasingly global stakes around Venezuela’s next moves.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
