WASHINGTON — Venezuelan opposition figure Maria Corina Machado said Friday that Venezuela’s political transition would unfold in “several phases,” ultimately producing a society that is “profoundly pro-America.”
“This is a process that has several phases. We are in one that is complex … in which the regime is forced to dismantle some of the structures that have been maintaining them in power, starting with the repression system,” Machado told a news conference in Washington.
Speaking a day after meeting US President Donald Trump at the White House, where she presented him with her Nobel Peace Prize, Machado said dismantling repression must include the unconditional release of political prisoners and the restoration of basic freedoms.
She noted that many former detainees remain subject to travel bans and ongoing intimidation.
“The result of this hard process will be a society based on these values, a society that is profoundly pro-America,” she said.
Machado also criticized Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, describing her as “a communist” and accusing her of representing Russian, Chinese and Iranian interests rather than those of the Venezuelan people or the armed forces.
Rodriguez was sworn in as acting president following a US military operation on Jan. 3 that led to the capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Both were transferred to New York, where they are standing trial on weapons-related charges.
“I am profoundly, profoundly confident that we will have an orderly transition,” Machado said. “This is a complex phase we are right now. Some of the dirty work is being done by them.”
She added that the outcome would be “a proud Venezuela who is going to be the best ally the United States has ever had in the Americas.”
Reflecting on her meeting with Trump, Machado said she was “very impressed” by his knowledge of Venezuela and his attention to developments in the country.
“He’s concerned about the wellbeing of our people,” she said, adding that they discussed political prisoners, their families and the need to end repression. — Agencies
