Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado met with President Donald Trump on Friday, offering a cautious but hopeful update on the country’s political future following the removal of Nicolás Maduro.

According to Fox News, Machado said Venezuela would eventually hold “free and fair” Elections, though she emphasized that security, the rule of law, and the dismantling of the repression apparatus must come first.

“I am profoundly, profoundly confident that we will have an orderly transition,” Machado told reporters during a Heritage Foundation news conference in Washington, calling the current phase “the first steps of a true transition to democracy.”

Machado did not provide a timeline for Elections, noting only that they would occur “as soon as possible.” She warned that years of authoritarian control had hollowed out Venezuela’s democratic institutions and that hundreds of political prisoners remain unaccounted for.

“The fact that you are not in a prison doesn’t mean that you are free,” she said, citing restrictions on speech, movement, and political organizing.

During her visit, Machado praised Trump for his support of Venezuelans and presented him with her Nobel Peace Prize medal, a symbolic gesture highlighting her gratitude. 

She described Trump’s actions as “courageous” and credited U.S. involvement with giving Venezuelans renewed hope after years of economic collapse and political repression.

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Machado also addressed tensions with the interim government, specifically Vice President Delcy RodrĂ­guez, whom Trump has publicly praised for her role in the transition.

Machado called Rodríguez “a communist” and “the main ally and representation of the Russian regime, the Chinese and the Iranians,” while stressing that the transition is about dismantling Maduro’s regime, not personal rivalries.

“This is not about me,” Machado said. “It is about the will of the Venezuelan people.” She outlined that future Elections must include Venezuelans abroad, many of whom were previously barred from voting.

The opposition leader acknowledged the delicate nature of the transition. “We understand the urgency,” she said. “But without dismantling terror, there can be no real democracy.”

Meanwhile, U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have described a phased approach to Venezuela’s recovery, focusing on stabilization, institutional rebuilding, and eventual Elections once security conditions allow.

Machado framed the process as a collective effort, insisting that democratic restoration in Venezuela will only succeed when the structures of repression are fully neutralized.