US President Donald Trump has definitively ruled out calling elections in Venezuela in the short term, arguing that the country must first be "fixed" following the capture of Nicolás Maduro. The president responded with a concise "I" when asked who was ultimately responsible for the US handling of the Venezuelan crisis.
“"First we have to fix the country. Elections cannot be held, it is impossible for people to vote."
Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, María Corina Machado, reappeared in an interview on Fox News, expressing her wish to return to the country "as soon as possible." Machado thanked Trump for the "valiant actions" that led to Maduro's capture, calling it a "great step for freedom and human dignity."
Although Machado is considered the main voice of the opposition, Trump dismissed supporting her last Saturday, claiming she lacks sufficient internal backing within the Latin American nation. Meanwhile, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has assumed transitional command with Trump's approval.
In the same interview, Machado harshly criticized Delcy Rodríguez, calling her "one of the principal artificers of torture" attributed to the Caracas government. The Nobel Peace Prize winner asserted that, in free and fair elections, the anti-Chavista movement she leads would obtain more than 90% of the votes.
