Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado says she wants to share her Nobel Peace Prize with U.S. President Donald Trump, praising his administration’s military action that led to the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro, even as she acknowledged she has not spoken to Trump since October.
Speaking on Fox News’ Hannity on Monday, Machado described Maduro’s capture as “a huge step for humanity, for freedom, and human dignity,” and said her decision to dedicate the Nobel Prize to Trump was based on her belief that he deserved it, reports Al Jazeera.
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“I dedicated it to President Trump because I believed, at that time, that he deserved it,” Machado said. “Now, after deposing Maduro, he has proven to the world what he means.”
Machado said she last spoke with Trump on October 10, the day the Nobel Peace Prize was announced. “Not since then,” she said, adding that she hopes to thank him personally.
“On behalf of the Venezuelan people, how grateful we are for his courageous vision, the historical actions he has taken against this narcoterrorist regime.”
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The right-wing opposition figure welcomed Trump’s remarks about U.S. energy interests in Venezuela, saying the country could become an “energy hub” for the United States. “We will bring rule of law, we will open markets, we will bring security for investments,” she said.
Trump, however, later questioned Machado’s political standing, telling reporters she “doesn’t have the support or the respect” to lead Venezuela. Following Maduro’s removal, former Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as interim leader.
Machado won 93 percent of the opposition’s 2023 primary vote but was barred from running for president, forcing her into hiding for more than a year. After traveling to Norway to accept the Nobel Prize, her current whereabouts remain unknown. She said she plans to return to Venezuela “as soon as possible.”