Nobel Prize winner María Corina Machado, a Venezuelan opposition leader, might have beaten out President Donald Trump for the coveted award, but she says she is on the same team as Trump in striking at the corruption, repression, and persecution under dictator Nicolás Maduro.
“President Trump has made decisions regarding the dismantling of a narcoterrorist structure and I want to insist on this, it was Maduro who declared the war on us,” Machado told NBC News, from her undisclosed hideout, where she has been for 14 months fearing Maduro’s reprisal.
“If Maduro will stop this war by moving out and facilitating a transition to democracy. We do need the help of other countries and the leadership of President Trump to stop this war, because it is about saving millions of lives.”
Trump is answering her call for international assistance that has fallen on deaf ears for far too long.
“What we have demanded for years is that the international community help the Venezuelan people by cutting the flows of criminal money that is used by Maduro for corruption, repression, and persecution, and also to amplify its criminal activities,” she said.
Trump is striking Venezuelan drug boats in the Caribbean, exposing “covert” CIA operations in Maduro’s country, and dropping White House “f” bombs about the dictator not wanting “f**k around with the United States.”
“I am not going to get involved in an operation and decision of the president of the United States to defend their own national security,” Machado told NBC about the striking of Venezuelan boats.
Machado wants regime change in Venezuela even if Trump would face leftist and globalist condemnation for forcing it.
“Venezuela is the most cohesive society, even though our country has been destroyed – institutions, private sector, family separated – 86% of Venezuelan population lives in poverty,” she said.
“Imagine that,” she added, “a country that has the largest oil reserves in the world.
“But we are ready to put our country back on our feet, and to return Venezuela from the criminal hub of the Americas into the energy hub of the Americas.
“And you will see millions of our migrants finally coming back home.”
After Venezuela, it will be on to fight to root out and conquer the communist remnants in the Americas, the Nobel Peace Prize winner says.
“And as soon as Maduro goes and this regime goes, we will fight for democracy in Cuba and in Nicaragua,” she said. “For the first time in history we will have the Americas free of communism, dictatorship, and narcoterrorism.”
Machado’s war-footing positions notwithstanding, she said she is hiding out but hopeful to come out eventually in a free Venezuela.
“It has been very, very difficult,” she said. “I have spent 14 months in isolation without seeing anyone – hugging, touching anyone. These are hours of care in Venezuela but also hours of courage, and light.
“But I am so hopeful and so convinced because this new hope, this new energy and enthusiasm has been growing in our country. And we are prepared.
“You will see the day comes, millions of Venezuelans go into the streets to celebrate and to work really hard to rebuild a proud and prosperous nation.”
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