Venezuela’s Machado lauds Trump for ‘freedom’, urges 2027 elections
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has thanked the Trump administration for opening the 'floodgate to freedom' by abducting President Nicolas Maduro in January.
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate on Thursday also called for elections to be held in Venezuela next year, in her first public remarks since returning from more than 10 months in exile. Machado was greeted by cheering supporters as she travelled in her motorcade after she returned to Venezuela on Sunday.
Election Timeline
Machado named Trump, his administration and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for their actions on January 3. She stated that Rubio 'has set out a sequence of events aimed at moving toward a democratic transition that makes clear the holding of presidential elections in 2027'.
Thanks to their vision, their courage, and their action on January 3, the floodgate to freedom has been opened.
Oil Deal Criticism
Machado criticized a controversial US oil deal that will see Venezuela hand over 20 percent of its vast oil reserves. 'This agreement does not reflect the levels of transparency that Venezuelan society wants,' she said.
Current Leadership
Since Maduro's abduction in January, the country has been ruled by his former Vice President Delcy Rodriguez. Rodriguez voiced distaste for Machado's return fanfare, saying 'The show could have been avoided – the airports are right here' on state television.
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