Venezuelan Opposition Leader Maria Corina Machado Calls for Escalated Pressure on Maduro Amid U.S. Sanctions Push

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, recipient of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, stated Sunday that she is “absolutely” supportive of President Donald Trump’s strategy toward Venezuela as his administration intensifies pressure on the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

She expressed gratitude to Trump and his administration for their role in championing freedom in the hemisphere. Machado acknowledged that tougher sanctions and potential seizures tied to Venezuela’s oil industry could deepen hardship for an already impoverished population but emphasized that additional pressure is necessary to improve conditions over time.

“What we’re doing is for the well-being of the Venezuelan people,” she said, adding that Maduro has “declared a war on the Venezuelan people.” Machado described this conflict as including “hundreds of thousands of killings and forced executions” in recent years, which she attributed to the Venezuelan government. She also alleged the regime has “persecuted, tortured, killed, and disappeared thousands of Venezuelans,” noting increased violence as it faces greater internal strain.

When pressed on whether she favors additional seizures and a blockade, Machado stated her support for “every legal action through law enforcement approach” by U.S., Caribbean, Latin American, and European countries to “further block the illegal activities of the regime.” She added that increasing the cost of staying in power would force the regime to collapse: “Once you arrive at that point in which the cost of staying in power is higher than the cost of leaving power, the regime will fall apart.”

Machado noted that Maduro remained in power after last year’s presidential election despite official vote tallies showing the opposition winning nearly 70% of the vote. She described Venezuela as “a totally different country” now, with Maduro “weaker than ever,” and stated that the armed forces and police are “divided and fractured” while the opposition remains “united.” She cited reports of military discontent during last year’s election and recent outreach from service members.

On U.S. military intervention, Machado emphasized she wants more pressure on Maduro but does not believe troops on the ground are necessary. She further characterized the Maduro government as part of a “complex criminal structure,” alleging it has become a haven for international criminals and terrorist groups including Russia, Iran, Cuba, Hezbollah, Hamas, Colombian guerrillas, and drug cartels.

Machado expressed doubt that Russian President Vladimir Putin would prioritize supporting Maduro, questioning whether Russia has “resources to spare” and calling the regime’s collapse inevitable. She predicted that if Maduro leaves power, “tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands” of Venezuelan migrants would return home, calling a democratic transition “a win-win situation.”