In a controversial statement that has stirred global debate, Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado has voiced support for U.S. military escalation near her country’s coastline, saying it could help remove President Nicolás Maduro from power.
Speaking on Bloomberg’s The Mishal Husain Show, Machado said, “I believe the escalation that’s taking place is the only way to force Maduro to understand that it’s time to go.” She argued that the U.S. military buildup, which Washington says targets narcotics trafficking, could be the decisive factor in ending what she calls an “illegitimate regime.”
Machado, who was barred from last year’s election, maintains that opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia was the rightful winner.
“This is not regime change,” she insisted, “this is enforcing the will of the Venezuelan people.” She accused Maduro of heading a “narcoterrorist structure” rather than a legitimate government.
The United States has intensified its military presence in the western Caribbean, with naval operations targeting alleged drug-smuggling networks linked to Venezuela. While former U.S. President Donald Trump denied plans for direct strikes, reports suggest Washington reviewed potential targets as tensions grew.
Maduro, in turn, has accused Machado of acting as a conduit for U.S. interference, channeling funds to what he called “fascist” groups. His government condemned the American operations as a violation of sovereignty and a “coup attempt.”
Meanwhile, Russia, China, and Iran have expressed support for Caracas, with Moscow reaffirming a strategic partnership agreement earlier this week.
Machado believes, however, that the credible threat of force alone could trigger Maduro’s downfall:
“It was absolutely indispensable to have a credible threat,” she said, asserting that Venezuela’s opposition and security forces are “ready to take over government” once the transition begins.
