Venezuelan Nobel laureate and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado expressed her support for the Donald Trump administration’s pressure campaign against President Nicolás Maduro on Sunday.
Machado’s comments, which were broadcast on Sunday, come amid increasing pressure from the Trump administration on Maduro, with the latest action being the seizure of an oil tanker that Venezuela condemned as an act of “international piracy.”
In an interview on CBS’ ‘Face the Nation,’ Machado, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner, said she “absolutely” supports Washington’s pressure on Maduro.
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“I absolutely support the strategy of President Trump, and we, the Venezuelan people, are very grateful to him and his administration, because I believe he is the champion of freedom in this hemisphere,” said the Venezuelan leader, who received the prestigious honor that the American president openly deserved.
Asked about possible US military intervention in Venezuela, the opposition leader said: “I welcome more and more pressure to make Maduro understand that he has to go, that his time is up.”
Machado said she not only welcomed US pressure on Maduro, but also called on the entire international community to intervene.
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“We want every legal action through a law enforcement approach, not only from the United States, but also from other Caribbean, Latin American and European countries that further block the illegal activities of the regime,” said the Nobel laureate.
“Why? Because we need to increase the cost of staying in power by force,” she added.
Machado spoke from Oslo after she defied a 10-year travel ban to secretly leave Venezuela to accept the Nobel Prize.
Asked at a news conference in the Nordic capital if she was open to US military intervention, the Nobel laureate echoed what she told CBS, saying: “We are asking the world to help us.
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Tensions between the US and Venezuela
The recent seizure of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela follows a sustained campaign of US military attacks on alleged drug vessels from the country.
So far, there have been over 20 US military strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific, killing over 90 people.
The Trump administration does not recognize Maduro, a known strongman, as Venezuela’s legitimate leader and says the president heads a drug cartel.
In addition to attacks on drug ships, the US has also significantly increased its military presence in the Caribbean, with Trump threatening to intervene on numerous occasions and even authorizing Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operations.
In addition, the U.S. has also sanctioned several oil tankers linked to the Maduro family and has indicated that more seizures may be in order.
While Maduro has been in power since 2013, the opposition claims it won the last election.
