2 days ago
7
The pursuing is the afloat transcript of the interrogation with Venezuelan absorption person María Corina Machado, a information of which aired connected "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" connected Feb. 1, 2026. The interrogation was conducted connected Friday, Jan. 30, 2026.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And we're joined present by Venezuelan absorption person María Corina Machado, and it is astonishing to spot you present successful idiosyncratic aft truthful long.
MARÍA CORINA MACHADO: Likewise. Thank you precise much.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio this past week. He said the U.S. present does not mean to person immoderate subject enactment oregon beingness wrong Venezuela, but for possibly astatine a reopened embassy there. Is that a bully thought to instrumentality that subject unit disconnected erstwhile the Maduro authorities is efficaciously inactive successful place?
MACHADO: Well, archetypal of all, I person to accidental that connected behalf of the Venezuelan people, we're very, precise grateful to the American people, and the archetypal hand- archetypal and foremost, to President Trump, to the caput of state, and besides to your leaders successful Congress. I mean, the- the grade of enactment and attraction that we've felt successful this combat astatine this infinitesimal is enormous, and I deliberation it is wide connected the- connected the behalf and good being of the American people, but besides of the Venezuelan people, and I would accidental the full hemisphere. I bash not deliberation that the unit is being taken away. Actually, everything Delcy Rodríguez is presently doing is due to the fact that she's complying with instructions she's getting from the United States, and important steps are being taken. So I deliberation that the connection has been delivered, and truthful far, we're seeing the results successful the actions taken by the regime, and besides successful the temper and vigor that is increasing wrong the Venezuelan population.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Are you, oregon is anyone successful your movement, successful interaction with Delcy Rodríguez, who's the acting president of Venezuela now?
MACHADO: No, not directly.
MARGARET BRENNAN: No. Why not?
MACHADO: Well, we had offered, since we won the predetermination by a landslide, that we were consenting to- to hold successful the presumption of a negotiated transition, they refused. On the contrary, they decided to unleash the- the- the astir cruel, brutal repression wave. There are- arsenic you know, determination person been thousands of governmental prisoners, and they had not demonstrated immoderate willingness to- to halt this cruelty, until January 3rd arrived and- and happened erstwhile it happened. So it sent a wide connection to them, and they're starting to recognize that things person changed for good. So yet they mightiness recognize or- and adjacent precise soon, that it is successful their champion involvement to- to judge that modulation is unstoppable.
MARGARET BRENNAN: A modulation that you anticipation involves a antiauthoritarian predetermination astatine immoderate point. Did Secretary Rubio springiness you immoderate benignant of timeline for the American plans?
MACHADO: What I bash person precise wide is that the extremity effect is the same. What we want, what the Venezuelan radical person voted and struggled and combat for with immense origin and sacrifice, and what the United States authorities and President Trump besides desires. It is simply a precise analyzable process. I mean, this is simply a transgression operation that has intertwined with the enemies of the West, Russia, Iran, China, Cuba, extremist violent organizations specified arsenic Hezbollah, Hamas, the cartels, the guerrilla, each successful relation with the Maduro authorities and Delcy Rodríguez and others. So it's a process of dismantling this operation successful the- successful a mode that it's astir orderly nether power imaginable successful the abbreviated term. And yes, the extremity crippled has to be, oregon the extremity measurement has to be, a electoral process successful which we tin person morganatic power. So I'm talking astir a morganatic nationalist assembly, governors, mayors and surely president.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But for the radical successful Venezuela inactive surviving nether that regime, what has really changed for them, and bash they person the patience to hold for what you're talking about, which is fundamentally conscionable hoping that the Rodríguez authorities does what Donald Trump tells them to do?
MACHADO: Well, it's much than hoping. We're seeing the results, the actions. Are we determination yet? Not. And- and I deliberation it's a bully point, what you mentioned, patience. How overmuch patience tin the Venezuelan radical have? Because, I mean, determination were implicit 1,000 governmental prisoners connected January the 1st. Still, determination are implicit 700. Not 1 subject prisoner, governmental captive has been liberated. There are men and women that person been successful situation for years. Even the 3 constabulary of the Policía Metropolitana person 23 years successful prison, and they person not been liberated- released yet.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And Secretary Rubio has said it's not happening arsenic accelerated arsenic America wants it to.
MACHADO: Absolutely. And in- successful our case, we privation that to hap immediately. Imagine, you know, the mothers of- of- of galore of these guiltless prisoners person been successful vigils for implicit 23 days and nights. This is thing that was unthinkable, Margaret, earlier January 3rd, and it shows that Venezuelan radical are getting much and much empowered, much and much assured that this process volition yet pb to a- to a morganatic authorities based connected the volition of the people, but surely we request to determination determination and permission grounds that there's nary mode back.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah, well, President Trump has talked a batch astir Venezuela's lipid and its earthy resources. Do you enactment the instrumentality that was conscionable passed that allows the Venezuelan Government to privatize the lipid industry?
MACHADO: Well, archetypal of all, I bash not admit the National Assembly arsenic a morganatic power. It has not been recognized by the Venezuelan people, not adjacent by the American- by the U.S. government.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Not legally, but efficaciously they--
MACHADO: Yeah, but immoderate comes from that National Assembly has nary legality. So- due to the fact that this is an illegitimate power. So certainly, these alleged reforms present affirmative signs successful presumption of what we, the Venezuelan people, privation successful the future. We don't privation socialism. We don't privation the authorities owning each single, you know, installation oregon accumulation center. We privation backstage property, but that requires regularisation of law, agelong word guarantees for overseas investment, for section investment. But 1 happening that is the astir important of all, successful my opinion, you request to person people, talent, specialized, professional, consenting to enactment and make these enterprises. What happened with the Venezuelan specialized talent? It was forced to fly the country, astir a 3rd of our population, and these are radical that are moving each astir the world. So ideate if a Venezuelan technologist moving successful Ghawar, the- the largest lipid tract successful Saudi Aramco, would helium permission his occupation and spell backmost to Venezuela, wherever Delcy Rodríguez, who is portion of the cartel, is in- and who primitively fired him is successful power? Of course, not.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, you raised this point, but President Trump conscionable said connected camera that United States is going to commencement peeling backmost immoderate of these sanctions truthful that Americans tin question backmost to Venezuela. He's lifted the aerial restrictions--
MACHADO: --Well, I think--
MARGARET BRENNAN: --is it harmless to go?--
MACHADO: I deliberation it is important to instrumentality steps. I deliberation these are signals directed to respective actors. First and foremost, to the regime, saying this is going to determination forward. There is nary mode back. And- and- and the authorities knows that nary American national oregon Venezuelan national is going to spell backmost to a state that's inactive nether the powerfulness of Maduro authorities and the cartel. That's not going to happen. But- but these kinds of actions, I think, springiness the close signals successful presumption that this is going to determination ahead. And I bash spot the president successful what helium has said regarding however overmuch helium cares astir the Venezuelan people, that's thing that I deliberation it was rather important successful our conversation.
MARGARET BRENNAN: If you instrumentality to Venezuela now, would you beryllium imprisoned, and has the American authorities said that they volition support you, they volition warrant your safety?
MACHADO: Well, you know, things are changing precise accelerated successful Venezuela. If they had captured maine earlier I left, I astir apt would person been disappeared oregon worse. Right now, I don't deliberation they would situation to termination maine due to the fact that of the United States beingness and unit and actions. I don't cognize however overmuch anticipation of moving I would person wrong Venezuela, surely they would beryllium precise afraid, due to the fact that the- the authorities knows the connection, the intimate transportation we have, you know, the Venezuelan radical and- and the enactment that won the election, the morganatic government.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You won that predetermination on with Edmundo González astatine the apical of that ticket, adjacent the Trump medication recognized it. Secretary Rubio testified that to Congress, but past the president of the United States stood up determination and said to the nationalist that adjacent though you had won that election, you didn't person the nationalist support. And I wonderment if you tin recognize wherefore they made that calculation, that you and your enactment who won an predetermination couldn't beryllium that transitional authorities that would bash each the things you're talking about?
MACHADO: Well, Margaret, I volition ore successful what helium told maine successful a backstage conversation, looking each different successful the eyes, and I, and I genuinely judge helium understands the quality of this regime. They each cognize that Delcy Rodríguez is simply a communist that nary 1 tin trust. Not even, you know, the radical surrounding her close present does. I mean these are individuals that person beardown ties with Russia, Iran, China, Cuba. I mean, she is doing what she's doing due to the fact that United States is putting capable unit for them to recognize that she has nary different option. If that, if that unit were taken away, she would crook astir and spell backmost to wherever loyal- her loyalty is with these regimes are the enemies of America. So nary 1 is naive here. I deliberation she's doing portion of the soiled occupation of dismantling her ain authorities and entourage, but that's a- there's a bounds to it. For what you said before, you know, radical person to beryllium taken relationship on- of. They person to beryllium involved. And the Venezuelan people, 90% of our radical privation the same. Not lone this authorities to spell immediately, but we privation to unrecorded successful a state with quality dignity, with solidarity, with justice, with freedom. This is each astir bringing our kids backmost home, having our families together. It's astir redeeming lives.
MARGARET BRENNAN: What relation would you privation successful a aboriginal Venezuelan government? Because adjacent President Trump says you whitethorn person a relation successful the future. Would you tally for president?
MACHADO: I volition beryllium president erstwhile the clip comes. But it doesn't matter. That should beryllium decided successful elections by the Venezuelan people. I wasn't allowed to tally successful the past election, arsenic we mentioned before, due to the fact that Maduro was acrophobic to moving against me, and helium thought Edmundo was not a threat, due to the fact that cipher knew who helium was. And successful little than 3 months, we managed to enactment the full state supporting him, due to the fact that this is- this is substance of freedom. I mean, this is simply a spiritual fight, an existential combat for Venezuela. Unlike different diasporas, and I privation to accent this, our radical astir the world, present successful the United States, privation to spell back. Go backmost and unrecorded successful a state wherever they're safe, but astir of all, wherever determination is simply a aboriginal successful state and democracy. So if we privation those hundreds of thousands and millions of Venezuelan to spell back, we request to person a unafraid and precise timeline done which this modulation volition advance.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And we don't cognize erstwhile yet--
MACHADO: Not yet--
MARGARET BRENNAN: --from the Trump medication astatine all.
MACHADO: Not yet. But I'm definite determination is, and the caput of authorities and galore different members of the government, by instructions of the president, a wide willingness to determination arsenic accelerated arsenic imaginable within, you know, power and bid and knowing the complexity of specified a transgression structure, but knowing that the dependable of the radical is what brings legitimacy to this process.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Before I fto you go. You know, the past clip we spoke, you had made this daring, covert flight by land, oversea and aerial from Venezuela to spell and person that Nobel Peace Prize successful Oslo. You've kept those details private, you said, for information reasons, but you did accidental you broke your back, you talked astir being mislaid astatine sea, that you feared that you mightiness suffer your beingness astatine 1 point. After each of that, wherefore did you springiness your Nobel Peace Prize to President Trump aft you'd already dedicated it to him?
MACHADO: Look, I deliberation this is simply a substance of justice, and it's a substance of what's successful the superior involvement of our country. We the Venezuelan people, are genuinely grateful for what helium has done, and we're assured successful what helium volition bash successful the- successful the days, weeks and months to come.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You judge helium supports you.
MACHADO: I do. Because it is- it has to bash archetypal and foremost with you, the American people, and however dismantling this transgression operation not lone saves millions of Venezuelan lives, it besides saves lives successful the Americas. And erstwhile Venezuela is free, past the Cuban authorities volition follow. The Nicaraguan authorities volition follow, adjacent the Iranian authorities that has turned Venezuela into its harmless haven and outer lone 3 hours distant from Florida. I mean, this has immense effect for the Western Hemisphere, for United States. So I deliberation this is simply a win-win concern for investment, for concern opportunity, for information reasons, and surely for migration tensions and crisis. So Venezuela volition beryllium free, and I cognize I volition big you soon successful a fantastic state that is precise grateful to yours.
MARGARET BRENNAN: María Corina Machado, convey you precise overmuch for your clip today. We'll beryllium close back.
English (US) ·