She Dedicated Her Nobel Prize To Trump. He Said She Can't Lead Venezuela

When a night-time US special forces operation led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, many believed the moment had finally arrived for the country's long-time opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado.

Those hopes fizzled quickly.

Shortly after the operation, US President Donald Trump made it clear that he would not back Machado, even with Maduro removed from power.

"I think it would be very tough for her to be the leader. She doesn't have the support within, or the respect within, the country. She's a very nice woman, but she doesn't have the respect," Trump said.

Machado, 58, has been one of Maduro's most vocal opponents for over two decades. In 2023, she won the opposition primary election with 93 per cent of the vote, despite being widely viewed by some as too radical.

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Soon after, the Maduro government barred her from holding public office, preventing her from contesting the 2024 presidential election. In response, she endorsed a stand-in candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, a 74-year-old retired diplomat.

But Maduro declared victory in the 2024 election, while the opposition accused the government of electoral fraud and continued to challenge the result.

In October, Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for keeping "the flame of democracy burning amid a growing darkness". The Norwegian Nobel Committee said she was honoured "for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy". She dedicated the prize to Trump, who made it no secret how much he coveted it.

Although Machado had worked for years to build ties with Trump, those efforts did not translate into backing when the moment arrived.

'Haven't Spoken To Trump Since October'

In an interview with Fox News on Monday, Machado said that she hasn't been in contact with the US president since October, signalling that she was unaware of the Venezuela operation.

"Actually, I spoke with President Trump on October 10, the same day the (Nobel Peace) Prize was announced, (but) not since then," she said.

Machado left Venezuela last month to travel to Norway to receive the award and has not returned since. Asked about going back, she said, "I'm planning to go as soon as possible."

The interview was her first since the US strikes on Venezuela and the capture of Maduro. Although excluded from Washington's plans, Machado publicly welcomed the US action.

She described it as "a huge step for humanity, for freedom and human dignity," and thanked Trump for "the historical actions he has taken against the narco-terrorist regime." She reiterated that she is ready to share her Nobel Prize with him because the US president "deserves it."

Referring to the day Maduro was captured, she said January 3 "will go down in history as the day justice defeated tyranny."

Why Trump Stepped Back?

According to The New York Times, the decision not to support Machado was based on several factors. US intelligence reportedly concluded that the opposition would struggle to govern effectively. At the same time, Machado's relationship with Trump officials had been deteriorating.

Senior US officials were said to be frustrated with her repeated claims that Maduro was weak and close to collapse, believing these assessments were inaccurate. They also questioned whether she could realistically take power.

According to a Washington Post report, Trump was unhappy with her decision to accept the award. Two White House sources described it as the "ultimate sin" and said he lost interest in supporting her afterwards.

For now, Maduro's vice-president, Delcy Rodriguez, has taken over as interim president. US officials reportedly view working with Rodriguez as the more practical option. Rodriguez is a preferred choice of global oil executives.

For now, it seems restoring democracy in Venezuela is not Washington's top priority. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that change in Venezuela would not happen overnight.

"These things take time," Rubio said in an interview, adding that US national interests were the immediate priority. He also said that securing complete regime change would require long-term military involvement in Venezuela.