Venezuela Interim President Can’t Be Trusted, Warns Opposition Leader

Venezuela’s opposition leader María Corina Machado has cast doubt on the credibility of the country’s new interim leadership, warning that President Delcy Rodríguez “can’t be trusted”.

Her remarks come three days after U.S. forces stormed Nicolás Maduro’s compound in the capital Caracas and took the Venezuelan leader and his wife into custody.

Speaking to Fox News, Machado said she was grateful for President Donald Trump’s intervention in Venezuela, describing it as a “huge step for humanity” and the cause of freedom.

But she cautioned that replacing Maduro with figures from his inner circle does not guarantee real change.

Machado said Rodríguez, who served as Maduro’s vice-president before being named interim president, “cannot be the person to lead this transition.”

She insisted that Venezuela needs a clean break from the structures of power that sustained the previous government.

Her comments come after Maduro made his first court appearance in New York, where he pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including drug trafficking and weapons offences.

During the 30-minute hearing, the detained leader described himself as a “kidnapped president” and a “prisoner of war,” maintaining that he remains Venezuela’s legitimate President.

Machado, who spent much of last year in hiding because of threats of arrest, said the changing political situation has pushed her closer to returning home.

“I am planning to go back as soon as possible,” she said, explaining that staying underground had only been necessary while it was too dangerous for her to operate openly.

She also warned of a new wave of repression, claiming that at least 14 journalists have been detained in recent days — developments she says further proves that the interim administration cannot guarantee the democratic freedoms of Venezuelans.

Machado said she believes Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for his actions in Venezuela, repeating her gratitude to the U.S. president for his decisive move in support of liberty.

Reflecting on Venezuela’s disputed election, Machado accused Maduro of having “absolutely controlled the system and the electoral council,” making independent elections impossible.

Despite this, she said, the opposition still defeated him “by a landslide,” even though official results declared Maduro the winner.

Machado, 58, is regarded as one of the most influential voices in Venezuela’s opposition.

Barred from contesting the 2024 election, she campaigned for opposition candidate Edmundo González, who, according to tally sheets from polling stations, won decisively despite the outcome announced by authorities.

Her activism has come at significant personal cost. Machado spent months in hiding and sent her adult children abroad for safety, going nearly two years without seeing them.

In 2025, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to achieve a peaceful transition from authoritarian rule to democracy in Venezuela.

Venezuela Interim President Can’t Be Trusted, Warns Opposition Leader is first published on The Whistler Newspaper