Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has promised to return to Venezuela “as soon as possible” after the United States captured dictator Nicolás Maduro. She cautioned that the current regime is intensifying an internal crackdown on those who disagree and journalists.

When speaking to “Hannity” on Monday, Machado stated that the time is now appropriate for her to go back after spending more than a year in hiding. She secretly left Venezuela last month and went to Norway to accept the Nobel Peace Prize, which she dedicated to President .

“Well, first of all, I’m planning to as soon as possible,” Machado said. 

“As I’ve always said, Sean, every day I decide where I can be more helpful for our cause. That’s why I stayed hidden for over 16 months, and that’s why I decided to come out, because I thought that at this moment I can be more useful to our cause by speaking out from where I am right now. But I’m going to go back home as soon as possible.”

Machado said that the developments in the past 24 hours have been extremely worrying, referring to what she described as a comprehensive on the same day he was captured and flown out of the country by U.S. forces.

“What we’re seeing right now in the last 24 hours is truly alarming,” she said.

Machado said the order requires the who support Trump’s actions and claimed that at least 14 journalists have been detained. A state of emergency decree was issued on Saturday but published on Monday. It orders the police to “immediately start a national search and arrest everyone involved in promoting or supporting the armed attack by the United States,” according to the text of the decree.

She said that the United States and the Venezuelan people must closely monitor the situation, arguing that the transition away from Maduro must continue.

“So this is very alarming. This is something that the United States government and the Venezuelan people must surely follow carefully,” she said. “And of course, we believe that this transition should move forward.”

Machado also strongly criticized Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, saying she is unfit to lead any transitional authority. Rodríguez, who has been vice president under Maduro since 2018, was on Monday.

“Delcy Rodriguez, as you know, is one of the main masterminds of torture, persecution, corruption, and drug trafficking,” Machado said. “She is the main ally and connection with Russia, China, Iran. She is definitely not someone that international investors can trust. And she is really rejected and despised by the Venezuelan people.”

Machado’s comments came just two days after the Trump administration announced that U.S. forces had captured the dictator and his wife, Cilia Flores, after successful “large-scale” military strikes targeting the Venezuelan government. The dictator and his wife are now being while they await trial on narco-terrorism charges.

’ Maria Lencki and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.