Nobel Peace Prize Winner Maria Corina Machado Vows Return to Venezuela, Warns of Escalating Crackdown

Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Maria Corina Machado says she plans to return to Venezuela “as soon as possible,” warning that the regime left behind after the capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro is escalating a sweeping internal crackdown targeting dissenters and journalists, as Fox News reported.

Machado made the remarks during an interview on Fox News’ “Hannity” on Monday, days after U.S. forces captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, following what the Trump administration described as successful “large-scale” military strikes against the Venezuelan government.

Maduro and Flores are now being held in New York while awaiting trial on narco-terrorism charges.

Speaking from abroad, Machado said the moment has arrived for her return after spending more than a year in hiding. She revealed that she secretly escaped Venezuela last month and traveled to Norway to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, which she dedicated to President Donald Trump.

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

“As I’ve always said, Sean, every day I make a decision where I am more useful for our cause. That’s why I stayed in hiding for over 16 months, and that’s why I decided to go out, because I believed that at this moment I’m more useful to our cause, being able to speak out from where I’m at right now. But I’m going to go as soon possible back home.”

Machado warned that developments over the past 24 hours indicate an aggressive effort by the remaining regime to suppress support for U.S. actions and silence the press.

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She said an executive order signed by Maduro on the same day he was captured has triggered widespread detentions.

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

According to Machado, the order mandates persecution of Venezuelans who support President Trump’s actions and has already resulted in the detention of at least 14 journalists.

A state of emergency decree issued Saturday and published Monday orders police to “immediately begin the national search and capture of everyone involved in the promotion or support for the armed attack by the United States,” according to the text of the decree cited by Reuters.

Machado said the situation requires close scrutiny by both Venezuelans and the United States as the country navigates a potential transition away from Maduro’s rule.

“So this is very alarming. This is something that has to be followed carefully, I’m sure, by the United States government and by the Venezuelan people,” she said. “And certainly we believe that this transition should move forward.”

She also issued sharp criticism of Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, who was sworn in as interim president on Monday. Rodríguez has served as vice president under Maduro since 2018.

“Delcy Rodriguez, as you know, is one of the main architects of torture, persecution, corruption, narco trafficking,” Machado said.

“She’s the main ally and liaison with Russia, China, Iran, certainly not an individual that could be trusted by international investors. And she’s really rejected, repudiated by the Venezuelan people.”

Machado’s comments come as Venezuela enters an uncertain period following Maduro’s removal, with reports of emergency decrees, arrests, and expanded police powers raising concerns about the regime’s next steps amid international scrutiny.

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