Venezuelan Nobel Peace Prize Winner Maria Corina Machado Calls for U.S. Pressure on Maduro Regime

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, the recipient of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, stated Sunday that she is “absolutely” supportive of President Donald Trump’s strategy toward Venezuela as his administration intensifies pressure on the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

Speaking on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Machado expressed gratitude for Trump and his administration, calling him a champion of freedom in the hemisphere. She acknowledged that tougher sanctions and potential oil industry seizures could deepen hardship for Venezuela’s already impoverished population but insisted additional pressure is necessary to improve conditions over the long term.

Machado described Maduro’s regime as having declared a war on Venezuelans, citing “hundreds of thousands of killings and forced executions” in recent years. She also alleged that the government has persecuted, tortured, killed, and disappeared thousands of Venezuelans, with violence escalating as the regime faces increased internal strain.

When pressed on further seizures and blockades, Machado advocated for all legal actions through international law enforcement channels to target the regime’s illegal activities. “We need to increase the cost of staying in power by force,” she said. “Once you arrive at that point in which the cost of staying in power is higher than the cost of leaving power, the regime will fall apart.”

Machado noted that Maduro has remained in power despite electoral tallies showing the opposition winning nearly 70% of votes last year. She described Venezuela as “a totally different country,” stating that Maduro is weaker than ever, with his armed forces and police divided while the opposition remains united.

She also said that “the wide majority of the military want change,” citing reported disobedience during last year’s vote and recent outreach from service members. When asked whether she would welcome U.S. military action, Machado emphasized her desire for more pressure on Maduro but declined to support troop deployment.

Additionally, Machado characterized the Maduro government as part of a “complex criminal structure” that has turned Venezuela into a haven for international criminals and terrorist groups including Russia, Iran, Cuba, Hezbollah, Hamas, Colombian guerrillas, and drug cartels. She insisted that after a transition, some within the system may face justice but stressed the pursuit of “justice, not revenge.”

Machado questioned whether Vladimir Putin would prioritize supporting Maduro, suggesting the regime’s collapse is inevitable. She predicted that if Maduro leaves power, “tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands” of Venezuelan migrants would return home, calling a democratic transition a “win-win situation.”