María Corina Machado

History was written on January 3, 2026, when US special forces executed a daring operation to capture Nicolás Maduro, the long-standing dictator of Venezuela. For María Corina Machado, the country's fierce opposition leader, this moment was not just a political victory but a vindication of her faith in American intervention.

Speaking from hiding, where she has defied the regime for months, Machado declared that she would 'love' to personally hand her Nobel Peace Prize to President Donald Trump, crediting his administration with achieving what many deemed impossible.

Machado, who was awarded the prestigious honour last October for her relentless struggle against authoritarianism, told Fox News' Sean Hannity that the operation marked 'the day justice defeated tyranny.' Her praise for the US President was unequivocal.

'Let me be very clear,' she said. 'As soon as I learned that we had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, I dedicated it to Trump because I knew at that point, he deserved it. And a lot of people, most people, said it was impossible to achieve what he has just done on Saturday, January 3rd. And so, I believe he deserved it.'

Machado Ready To Share Nobel Peace Prize With Trump

The symbolism of Machado's offer is potent. While she has not spoken to Trump directly since 10 October—the day her Nobel win was announced—she expressed a heartfelt desire to meet him.

'It hasn't happened yet, but I would certainly love to be able to personally tell him that we, the Venezuelan people—because this is a prize of the Venezuelan people—certainly want to give it to him and share it with him,' she explained.

For Machado, the capture of Maduro is more than a strategic win; it is a moral triumph. 'It's a milestone, and it's not only huge for the Venezuelan people and our future, I think it's a huge step for humanity, for freedom, and human dignity,' she added.

However, the geopolitical reality on the ground remains complex. Despite the successful extraction of Maduro, Washington has stopped short of handing the keys of Miraflores Palace to Machado.

In a conversation with the New York Post on Sunday, President Trump expressed doubts about her political viability, stating he was 'not sure' she had 'the support of the people that she has to have'.

CIA Intelligence Favours Regime Stability Over Machado

The decision to leave governance in the hands of the existing establishment appears to be driven by cold calculation. According to reports from the Wall Street Journal, CIA assessments concluded that Machado would struggle to assert control over a state apparatus that has been moulded by chavismo for decades.

Intelligence analysts warned that she would likely face violent resistance from entrenched paramilitary groups still loyal to the old guard.

Consequently, Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro's vice president and a key figure in the regime, was sworn in as interim president on Monday. The CIA reportedly determined that Rodríguez was better positioned to maintain order in the volatile aftermath of the coup, a move that prioritises stability over a total democratic overhaul.

Meanwhile, in New York, the drama continued in a Manhattan courtroom. Nicolás Maduro, now facing charges of narco-terrorism, made a defiant first appearance in chains. The toppled autocrat claimed he had been 'kidnapped' by US forces and protested his innocence, shouting, 'I am a decent man.'

As the legal proceedings against him begin, the future of Venezuela remains balanced on a knife-edge, with its most prominent champion of democracy still waiting in the wings.

Originally published on IBTimes UK