What lies ahead for Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado?

What lies ahead for Venezuelan leader Maria Corina Machado? Machado has argued that the opposition has a 'mandate' to succeed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. If there is one thing that Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado knows how to do, it is strategise from the sidelines. Since United States armed forces abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3, Machado has maintained a steady public presence. On Monday, she had an audience with Pope Leo at the Vatican. And on Thursday, she will meet with US President Donald Trump in Washington, DC. All the while, she has given interviews to news outlets like CBS, Fox News and the popular Venezuelan news website La Patilla. Still, experts say it is unclear what role she will play next, particularly after she was passed over to replace Maduro following his ouster. Quico Toro, a Venezuelan journalist and political scientist, explained that while Machado had successfully rallied popular support in the past - most notably during the 2024 presidential election - the situation in the country has changed. “She has the legitimacy from crushing the regime two years ago - but it’s not two years ago,” Toro said. He added that her role in shaping Venezuela’s future now appears to be more “medium to long term”. Prioritising stability Questions about Machado's role in Venezuelan politics emerged within hours of the US operation to remove Maduro, a leader accused of violently suppressing dissent. Machado, 58, had been living in hiding for months after the 2024 election, for fear of facing arrest. But that changed in December, when she escaped abroad to accept the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to advance Venezuelan democracy. Given her longstanding public opposition to Maduro, Machado was widely viewed as a favourite to replace him, should his government ever fall. But when Trump announced the US military operation to remove Maduro, he quickly quashed the prospect of Machado stepping into Venezuela's presidency. "I think it would be very tough for her to be the leader. She doesn't have the support within or the respect within the country," Trump said at a news conference hours after the attack. Rather than work with Machado, Trump announced plans to cooperate with Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro's vice president. She has since been sworn in as interim president. "She's essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again," Trump said of Rodriguez. Maduro, who has long been accused of human rights violations, has been charged alongside his wife Cilia Flores with being part of a conspiracy to traffic drugs into the US. While Trump's decision to topple Maduro has sparked jubilation among Venezuelans in exile, his military intervention - and quick dismissal of Machado - have raised concerns about his respect for Venezuelan sovereignty and international law. “I think [the Trump administration] basically bet on what they consider to be the most stable transition possible," said Freddy Guevara Cortez, a former opposition member in Venezuela's National Assembly. "They think that...

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