OSLO, Norway — Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado vowed Friday that President Nicolas Maduro “will leave power,” insisting the opposition is preparing an orderly, peaceful transition. Her pledge comes as U.S. pressure on Caracas intensifies and as Venezuela’s opposition continues to challenge the official results of the disputed 2024 presidential election, Dec. 12, 2025.
Maria Corina Machado doubles down: “Maduro will leave power”
Speaking days after her Nobel Peace Prize was accepted on her behalf, Machado told reporters: “Maduro will leave power, whether it is negotiated or not negotiated.” She added: “I am focused on an orderly and peaceful transition,” according to Reuters.
Machado’s appearance in Norway followed years of escalating pressure at home — including a long-standing travel ban and an extended period in hiding — after Venezuelan authorities blocked her from holding office despite her landslide win in the opposition’s 2023 primary. The government and the country’s election authority declared Maduro the winner in 2024, but the opposition argues its candidate, former diplomat Edmundo Gonzalez, won and has published voting tallies as evidence.
Machado has also sought to project confidence that a transition would hold inside Venezuela’s security apparatus. In an interview with The Guardian, she described the transition as “irreversible” and urged Maduro to consider a peaceful handover.
Rising pressure: tankers, sanctions and a high-stakes endgame
The renewed urgency comes amid an American military build-up in the southern Caribbean and a sharp escalation over oil shipments — the country’s main revenue lifeline. The U.S. recently seized the supertanker Skipper, which was carrying about 1.85 million barrels of Venezuelan crude and was headed for Houston, Reuters reported.
For Machado, the squeeze is part of a broader push to isolate Maduro’s inner circle and force negotiations — but not at the expense of a chaotic collapse. Al Jazeera reported that some analysts warn a transition without guarantees could increase the risk of violent confrontation, especially if security officials fear prosecution. Maduro’s government denies U.S. allegations and accuses Washington of seeking regime change to control Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported that Maria Corina Machado plans to return to Venezuela when she believes security conditions are right, after spending months in hiding and after her daughter accepted the Nobel award on her behalf.
How Maria Corina Machado’s long fight built to this moment
2014: Troops blocked her from reaching parliament after lawmakers stripped her seat, according to Al Jazeera’s report at the time.
2023: She dominated the opposition’s presidential primary, Reuters reported.
2024: Venezuela’s top court upheld a ban that blocked her from holding office, Reuters reported.
Now, Maria Corina Machado is betting that international pressure — paired with a clear promise of stability — can fracture Maduro’s support and open the door to negotiations. The stakes are enormous: an orderly transition could unlock economic recovery and accelerate returns for migrants, while a violent rupture could deepen Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis and destabilize neighbors already under strain.
