Oslo, January 6, 2026 – Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado says she has not spoken with US President Donald Trump since October 2025, but publicly praised his military operation to abduct President Nicolas Maduro, calling it a “huge step for humanity.”

In an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner said she wanted to thank Trump for his “courageous vision” in targeting Maduro’s government, which she described as a “narcoterrorist regime.”

“I spoke with Trump on October 10, the day the prize was announced. Not since then,” Machado said. “But on behalf of the Venezuelan people, we are grateful for the historical actions he has taken to bring Maduro to justice.”

Trump Questions Machado’s Leadership

Trump, however, told reporters that Machado “doesn’t have the respect or support within Venezuela” to lead the country. Meanwhile, Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s former vice president, has been sworn in as interim president.

Machado, a hard-right opposition figure, had been barred from running in Venezuela’s 2023 presidential election despite winning the opposition primary with 93% of the vote. She spent more than a year in hiding before traveling to Norway to receive her Nobel Prize.

Machado Backs US Oil and Market Plans

Machado indicated support for Trump’s vision of opening Venezuela’s resources to US companies, calling for the country to become an “energy hub” under a rule-of-law framework that allows foreign investment.

“We will bring security for investments, we will open markets,” Machado said.

Analysts, however, warn that the US operation and plans for Venezuela’s resources skirt international law and risk normalizing unilateral interventions, with expert Sultan Barakat calling it a “new imperialistic era” centered on oil and strategic interests.

Machado says she plans to return to Venezuela “as soon as possible,” though her current whereabouts remain unknown.