CARACAS: Venezuelan Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado has declared that President Nicolas Maduro’s time in power is ending, with or without negotiations.
The opposition figurehead stated that Maduro currently has the opportunity to move toward a peaceful transition of power.
Machado offered personal guarantees to Maduro if he agrees to cede power, though she declined to specify the exact terms publicly.
“We are ready to offer guarantees, guarantees that we will not make public until we are sitting at that negotiation table,“ she told AFP from hiding.
She warned that Maduro would bear full responsibility for the consequences if he continues to resist leaving office.
Machado admitted she remains shocked by her unexpected Nobel Prize win just three days earlier.
She hopes to leverage both her Nobel recognition and mounting United States pressure to oust the government that has ruled for over a quarter century.
The opposition leader confirmed that guarantees would also extend to military personnel and public employees who help facilitate a transition.
Machado revealed that increasing numbers of military personnel are reaching out to the opposition with information.
She declined to speculate about potential United States military intervention despite the significant naval presence near Venezuela.
Washington has deployed eight warships to the region, representing the largest Western Hemisphere military buildup since the 1989 invasion of Panama.
The Trump administration has already struck four boats allegedly used for drug trafficking, resulting in at least 21 deaths.
Multiple sources close to the United States government indicate imminent strikes targeting locations inside Venezuela.
Maduro has previously branded Machado a “demonic witch” and accused her of calling for foreign invasion.
Machado maintains fluid communication with Washington and governments across Latin America and Europe.
She asserted that her Nobel win and the United States military deployment have placed the Maduro regime in crisis.
The opposition claims to have collected vote tallies proving their victory in the 2024 presidential election and exposing regime fraud.
Machado accused the regime of being infiltrated by foreign allies including Cubans, Russians, Iranians, and various militant groups.
She dedicated her Nobel Prize to the suffering Venezuelan people and to United States President Donald Trump.
Opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia has publicly asked Machado to serve as vice president in a future government.
Machado concluded that she has no doubt Venezuela is in a countdown toward change. – AFP
