Venezuelan opposition leader vows Israel alliance if she takes power

Saturday 03 January 2026 - 13:50

By: Dakir Madiha

Venezuelan opposition leader vows Israel alliance if she takes power

María Corina Machado, the Nobel Peace Prize winner speaking from hiding in a detailed interview published Saturday, pledged to position Venezuela as Israel's closest ally in Latin America upon gaining power. This commitment aims to reverse decades of animosity that began under Hugo Chávez and deepened under Nicolás Maduro.

The interview with Israel Hayom came amid unverified claims by President Donald Trump that U.S. forces struck Venezuela and captured Maduro. Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez appeared on state television demanding proof of life for Maduro and his wife, whose whereabouts remain unknown. At 58, Machado who earned the 2025 Nobel for advancing democracy has been in hiding for 15 months, facing fabricated terrorism charges from the Maduro regime. She warned in the interview that discovery would lead to her disappearance, noting over 900 political prisoners and thousands forced into exile.

Machado promised to relocate Venezuela's embassy to Jerusalem and restore diplomatic ties severed by Chávez in 2009. She seeks Israeli support to dismantle Maduro's "criminal regime" and guide a democratic transition. In October, she met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, backing Israel's stance against Iran, which she views as a shared threat. This contrasts sharply with Maduro's government, which has hosted Hamas and Hezbollah delegations and allowed Iranian Revolutionary Guards to operate military bases, training locals in drone production.

Praising Trump whom some tipped for the Nobel Machado said he fully deserves it for his bold leadership against drug and terror cartels. Venezuelans inside and outside the country thank him profusely, she added, after Maduro branded her a "demonic witch" post-Nobel.

Outlining a post-Maduro vision, Machado plans to privatize Venezuela's oil industry, with reserves valued at $1.7 trillion, transforming the nation from a crime hub into Latin America's energy, security, and tech powerhouse. She labels Maduro's rule a "narco-terrorist dictatorship" allied with Russia, Iran, Cuba, and drug cartels, which has driven nearly 8 million Venezuelans one quarter of the population to flee amid economic collapse and repression.

Machado envisions welcoming returnees at the Simón Bolívar bridge, anticipating hundreds of thousands, then millions—doctors, engineers, teachers, entrepreneurs. The opposition claims Edmundo González won July's presidential election with over 70% of votes, despite Maduro's self-proclaimed victory and inauguration. González now lives in exile in Spain, while Machado leads from within Venezuela, connecting daily with thousands worldwide via technology.