FIRST ON FOX: Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado is giving credit to President for helping sustain Venezuela’s pro-democracy movement while dedicating her Nobel Peace Prize to him, telling Digital that he provided critical support at a moment when Venezuelans felt abandoned by the international community.
“I am absolutely grateful to President Trump for every gesture, every signal and every moment that he has stood with the . I have watched it very closely, and I know what it has meant for those who are fighting to reclaim democracy and freedom in our country,” she stated.
“A free and democratic Venezuela is not only possible — it is closer than ever. And that free Venezuela is breathing louder than ever before,” Machado said, adding that her Nobel Peace Prize is also dedicated to Trump. “This Nobel Prize is symbolic of that fight for freedom and is dedicated to the Venezuelan people and to President Trump for showing what strong leadership looks like in the moments that matter most.”
An official with knowledge of the situation told Digital that Machado hopes to visit the U.S. and meet the president to formally honor him for his support of the Venezuelan people, as she sees it.
Machado’s remarks come as she , Norway, after 11 months in hiding. Following a short detention during an anti-government protest in Caracas, she went underground as pressure from the Maduro government grew stronger.
Her return to public view coincided with the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, where her daughter Ana Corina Sosa accepted the award on her behalf. The Associated Press reported that Machado waved to cheering supporters from a hotel balcony — her first public appearance in nearly a year.
Machado was barred from running in the 2024 presidential election even though she won the opposition primary by a wide margin, a move that drew strong criticism from Western governments.
Roxanna Vigil, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, told Digital that Machado remains “the most popular political figure in Venezuela,” noting she secured “over 90% of the vote” in the opposition primary before being blocked by Maduro. “She became a real threat… and so they disqualified her from running,” Vigil said. Machado ultimately endorsed Edmundo González, who went on to win the election.
Machado eventually backed González, who independent vote tallies widely recognized as the winner of the 2024 election, but he did not take office after Venezuela’s official National Electoral Council — controlled by Maduro allies — declared Nicolás Maduro the winner and inaugurated him for another term.
Machado has signaled she intends to return to Venezuela when conditions allow and continues to call for a peaceful transition away from Maduro’s rule.