"I Will Return Soon"... Machado, Who Gifted Nobel Prize to Trump, Hints at Venezuelan Presidential Run

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Machado Signals Presidential Bid
Venezuelan Opposition Coalition Declares Support for Machado
Efforts to Win Trump's Favor, Including Gifting the Nobel Prize

Earlier this year, in Venezuela—a Central and South American country where the United States abruptly intervened to bring about a regime change—Maria Corina Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, is being mentioned as the next opposition presidential candidate.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Venezuelan opposition leader Machado announced that "she will soon return to Venezuela to tour the entire country." Photo by AFP Yonhap News

According to Yonhap News on April 12 (local time), citing Bloomberg and other sources, the Venezuelan opposition coalition (PUD) held a press conference in the capital, Caracas, and announced its support for opposition leader Machado as the unified candidate for the next presidential election.

The Venezuelan opposition is insisting that an early presidential election must be held to fill the political vacuum that arose after the ousting of former President Nicolas Maduro by U.S. President Donald Trump. Currently staying abroad, Machado participated in the press conference via video call, stating, "I will soon return to Venezuela and tour the entire country," and "The people want an election right now." She also argued that "it is essential to establish a new, independent, transparent, and professional election commission." However, she did not mention a specific date for her return.

Delcy Rodriguez, the Acting President of Venezuela, who is showing a conciliatory attitude toward the United States. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

Previously, Delcy Rodriguez, who took office as interim president, saw her term end on April 3 but is not following the parliamentary procedures required for an extension. According to the Venezuelan Constitution, if the president is temporarily absent, the vice president can serve as acting president for up to 90 days, and this can be extended for another 90 days with parliamentary approval. However, the Supreme Court has interpreted that since President Maduro is detained in the United States and unable to return—a situation it classified as "forced absence"—the interim president can extend the term without parliamentary consent in such cases.

Interim President Rodriguez is making conciliatory gestures toward the United States and the international community by opening up key resources such as oil and minerals to foreign capital. In February, during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, who visited Venezuela, she emphasized the importance of "productive cooperation."

Meanwhile, Machado was selected as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate last year in recognition of her contributions to the Venezuelan opposition's resistance against the Maduro regime. However, controversy arose after she gifted her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Trump in an apparent attempt to gain his favor following Maduro's removal. President Trump had previously described Machado as "a leader with low popularity among the people," but after receiving the medal, he remarked that "she may play a role in the future Venezuelan government."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.