Machado vows swift return to Venezuela, rejects interim leadership

WEB DESK: Venezuelan opposition figure Maria Corina Machado said on Monday that she intends to return to Venezuela “as soon as possible,” while strongly rejecting the country’s interim leadership following the removal of President Nicolas Maduro.

In her first public remarks since US forces detained Maduro over the weekend, Machado said she was preparing to go back to her homeland, speaking from an undisclosed location during an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity.

“I plan to return to Venezuela as soon as circumstances allow,” she said.

Machado dismissed interim president Delcy Rodriguez, accusing her of playing a central role in years of repression under the previous government. She described Rodriguez as a key figure behind “torture, persecution, corruption and narcotrafficking,” and said she lacked public legitimacy.

According to Machado, Rodriguez, who served as vice president during Maduro’s rule and has indicated a willingness to work with Washington, is widely rejected by Venezuelans. She said public support overwhelmingly favours the opposition.

“In truly free and fair elections, we would secure more than 90 per cent of the vote,” Machado said, expressing confidence in an opposition landslide.

She also outlined ambitions to rebuild Venezuela’s economy, pledging to transform the country into a major energy hub for the region, dismantle criminal networks and facilitate the return of millions of Venezuelans who fled amid years of political and economic turmoil.

Despite her prominence within the opposition, US President Donald Trump has downplayed the prospect of Machado assuming power, saying she does not command sufficient backing.

Machado, 58, was barred from contesting the 2024 presidential election. She has maintained that her political ally, Edmundo Gonzalez, won that vote by a wide margin and therefore holds a democratic mandate to lead the country.