Venezuelan opposition leader ‘absolutely’ backs Trump’s oil boat seizure, pressure on Maduro
Maria Corina Machado, the front‑row leader of Venezuela’s opposition, voiced her backing for President Trump’s latest move to seize an oil tanker leaving the country and the broader pressure strategy aimed at the Maduro regime.
She admitted that tightening sanctions could hit Venezuela’s already impoverished population hard, yet she praised Trump’s determination to remove the socialist ruler Nicolás Maduro.
“I absolutely support President Trump’s strategy, and we, the Venezuelan people, are very grateful to him and to his administration, because I believe he is a champion of freedom in this hemisphere,” Machado told CBS News’ “Face the Nation” Sunday.
“We have been asking this for years, so it’s finally happening,” she added. “That’s why I believe the regime has its days numbered.”
Machado left Venezuela last week, navigating dangerous waters on the way to Norway to accept the Nobel Peace Prize and to see her daughter for the first time since 2023.
She arrived hours after the formal ceremony; her daughter stood in for her and accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on her behalf. Machado had been out of the public eye since January 9, living in hiding.
In recent weeks, the Trump administration has ramped up its pressure on Venezuela, destroying several alleged drug‑running vessels in the Caribbean, boosting military deployments in the region, raising Maduro’s bounty to $50 million, and taking other hard measures.
President Trump has hinted that he could target positions on Venezuelan soil in the future.
“I don’t know,” Machado said when asked about Trump’s plans for land strikes. “If I knew, I wouldn’t say it, of course. But it’s not the case. We are not involved, and we will not get involved into another nation’s policy for their own national security.”
Machado had won the primary to become the opposition’s candidate against Maduro in the 2024 elections, but she was barred from running, so the nomination went to Edmundo Gonzalez instead.
Critics have claimed that Nicolás Maduro engaged in wrongdoing during his 2024 electoral victory.
He was crowned the winner in the disputed election, a result whose legitimacy was questioned by the Biden administration and other external observers.
After being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in October, Machado said she would dedicate the honor to Trump.
Trump had spent months boasting about international conflicts he said he helped resolve, and the White House flared when he was overlooked for the coveted award.
Machado noted that while tougher sanctions and future oil‑tanker seizures could hurt Venezuelans, such punitive actions ultimately serve their long‑term interests.
“What we’re doing is for the well‑being of the Venezuelan people,” she said. “What we want to do is to save lives, but Maduro was the one who declared a war on the Venezuelan people. A war we didn’t want.”
“A war we are suffering with hundreds of thousands of killings and forced executions,” she added. “The cash the regime gets from these illegal activities goes to buy arms, to pay gang members to spy and infiltrate, and even further to increase their illegal narcotics activities and so on.”
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
