Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado announced on Monday that she plans to return to her country “as soon as possible,” while sharply criticizing the interim government in Caracas.
Speaking from an undisclosed location in her first public comments since a weekend U.S. operation forcibly removed President Nicolás Maduro, Machado emphasized her commitment to restoring democracy in Venezuela.
“I’m planning to go back to Venezuela as soon as possible,” Machado told broadcaster Sean Hannity on Fox News.
She directly condemned interim president Delcy Rodriguez, calling her “one of the main architects of torture, persecution, corruption, and narcotrafficking.” Rodriguez, Maduro’s former vice president, has indicated a willingness to cooperate with Washington.
Machado asserted that Rodriguez lacks popular support, adding that voters are firmly behind the opposition. “In free and fair elections, we will win by over 90 percent of the votes. I have no doubt about it,” she said.
Looking ahead, Machado pledged ambitious reforms, vowing to “turn Venezuela into the energy hub of the Americas” and to dismantle entrenched criminal networks that have harmed citizens. She also promised to facilitate the return of millions of Venezuelans who were forced to flee the country.
