Nobel Laureate María Corina Machado Vows to Return to Venezuela, Endorses Tougher International Pressure on Maduro

Oslo — María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, told CBS's Face the Nation on Dec. 14, 2025, that she plans to return to Venezuela and supports intensified international measures to cut the illicit revenue that sustains the Nicolás Maduro regime.

Interview Highlights

MARGARET BRENNAN: You faced the threat of arrest by the Maduro government and said you endured extraordinary obstacles leaving Venezuela. Reports indicate the U.S. provided assistance. What kind of help did you receive?

MACHADO: I will not disclose details because doing so would endanger the people who helped me leave. The regime has punished those who assisted persecuted Venezuelans in the past, so I am protecting them.

MARGARET BRENNAN: The head of a private rescue group told our colleague that smuggling you out involved land, sea and air travel funded by multiple donors. Why was it so important for you to accept the Nobel Prize in person?

MACHADO: I do not know the motives of individual donors, and I prefer not to discuss logistics. What I can say is how meaningful this recognition is for Venezuelans. The prize honors a population that has resisted a criminal, narcoterrorist structure. I accepted it on their behalf and intend to bring it back to Venezuela when it is safe to do so.

MARGARET BRENNAN: You sent your children abroad to protect them and haven't seen your daughter in 16 months. Are they worried about your return?

MACHADO: Of course they are concerned. The regime has persecuted, tortured, killed and disappeared thousands of people. When an authoritarian system feels threatened, it often becomes more violent. Families worry, but they know I will be where I can be most useful to our cause.

Support for Strong International Action

MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you endorse more seizures of illicit oil shipments or even a blockade that could cut off the regime’s funds?

MACHADO: I support legal, law-enforcement actions that cut the regime’s illicit revenue streams. I have publicly praised President Trump’s approach because it has made Venezuela a priority for U.S. national security. We are not dealing with a conventional dictatorship but a criminal, transnational network that profits from oil smuggling, drug trafficking, gold theft, arms trading and human trafficking. Those illegal inflows do not go to schools or hospitals — they finance corruption, repression and criminal activity.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Critics warn that cutting revenue could deepen suffering for ordinary Venezuelans. How do you respond?

MACHADO: I understand the concern, but the regime is already waging a war on its own people. Teachers earn about $1 a day, pensions are minimal and public services are collapsing. The goal of targeted enforcement is to deprive the regime of resources it uses to buy arms and sustain repression, not to punish citizens.

Military Fractures and Diplomatic Prospects

MARGARET BRENNAN: You say the military is divided. What evidence do you have?

MACHADO: There are clear signs of division: in July 2024 troops disobeyed orders to remove electoral witnesses and suppress tally sheets, and we continue to receive covert contact from members of the security forces. Many return home to hungry families and increasingly question the regime. We estimate a strong majority of the armed forces could support a democratic transition once a credible pathway exists.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Are you seeing diplomatic progress toward a negotiated exit?

MACHADO: Venezuela has experienced 17 failed talks in recent years; each time the regime violated agreements and used them to gain legitimacy and time. The situation now is different: the regime is weaker, society is united, and international pressure is more coordinated. That combination creates a credible moment to advance a transition.

Transition Plans and International Assistance

MARGARET BRENNAN: What support will Venezuela need after a transition to prevent collapse and encourage recovery?

MACHADO: We will need broad assistance: security cooperation, intelligence and technology to neutralize residual threats; emergency relief for power, water and food; help to stabilize finance and restructure debt; and incentives for secure foreign investment in energy, infrastructure and critical minerals. Venezuelans are prepared to rebuild their country, and the diaspora will play a major role in recovery.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Would that include foreign peacekeepers or troops?

MACHADO: I cannot answer hypotheticals now. Some countries have offered institutional support for a post-transition government. Specific security arrangements would be decided by a legitimate government-elect with international partners.

Justice, Not Revenge

MARGARET BRENNAN: Should Maduro alone leave, or must the entire regime be dismantled?

MACHADO: Maduro is the head of a mafia-like system. Those responsible for crimes against humanity must face local and international justice. Others who committed lesser offenses should be treated according to the law. Our aim is justice, not revenge, and to restore order and rule of law without civil conflict.

Conclusion: Machado dedicated her Nobel Prize to Venezuelans and to leaders who have prioritized Venezuela on the international agenda. She reiterated she will return when she can be most effective and called for coordinated global action to end the regime’s illicit revenue streams and support a stable, democratic recovery.