Washington, 17 January (H.S.): Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado declared on Friday that her nation has embarked upon the initial phase of a genuine democratic transition, crediting the support of the United States and President Donald Trump for paving the way to freedom.

Speaking at an event in Washington, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate asserted, We are definitely now into the first steps of a true transition to democracy, emphasizing its profound implications for Venezuelans, the region, and the global stage.

Machado affirmed that Venezuela is going to be free, attributing this trajectory to backing from the American populace and Trump, despite his controversial decision to sideline her in favor of former Vice President Delcy Rodriguez as interim leader following the US military operation on January 3 that ousted President Nicolas Maduro.

Her party has furnished evidence of Maduro's alleged theft of the 2024 election—claims endorsed by Washington and much of the international community—yet Trump deemed Machado lacking sufficient domestic support, prioritizing Rodriguez's alignment on access to Venezuela's vast oil reserves.

Machado characterized Rodriguez as merely following orders, a statement issued a day after CIA Director John Ratcliffe's meeting with Rodriguez in Caracas to convey Washington's desire for an enhanced partnership. In a gesture underscoring thawing relations, a US deportation flight repatriated 231 Venezuelans to Caracas on Friday—the first since Maduro's removal—aligning with Trump's aggressive immigration enforcement in his second term.

Machado's Thursday presentation of her Nobel medal to Trump, whom she deemed deserving on behalf of Venezuelans, stirred controversy, though the Norwegian Nobel Committee clarified prizes cannot be transferred; Trump indicated plans to speak with her again. Meanwhile, Rodriguez, delivering Maduro's state-of-the-nation address while he faces drug trafficking charges in New York, vowed diplomatic resilience against US pressure.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar