(Dave DeCamp, Antiwar.com) Maria Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader who recently won the Nobel Peace Prize, said in an interview with Bloomberg that US military “escalation” is the only way to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and confirmed that she is in contact with Trump administration officials.
When asked if she supports the idea of the US bombing Venezuela, Machado said, “I believe the escalation that’s taken place is the only way to force Maduro to understand that it’s time to go.”
She added, “I believe that this escalation is the last opportunity for those that still support Maduro to understand that they need to take all support away from him — and Maduro himself to understand that this is the last chance to truly facilitate a peaceful and orderly transition, which is what we want, which is what we fought for.”
Machado also said that she supported the US bombing campaign against alleged drug-running boats in the region, which the US military has been conducting without providing evidence to back up its claims about what the boats are carrying. The Pentagon has also admitted to Congress that it doesn’t know the identities of the people it has been killing.
When asked if she viewed the boat strikes as justified or as extra-judicial executions, Machado blamed the deaths on Maduro. “This is about saving lives. Maduro is absolutely conscious and has been warned what not to do. These deaths are the responsibility of Nicolás Maduro,” she said.
Machado was then asked about the rights to due process for the people on the boats, and said, “I certainly defend the rights of everyone, but you need to understand that this is a very cruel war. It was Maduro who turned this into an international conflict. Maduro is not a conventional dictator. We’re facing a narcoterrorist structure that has turned Venezuelan territory.”
Machado said that she has been in touch with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has been leading US Venezuela policy and the push toward regime change. “I have been in touch with him, of course, and with his team and even further, in Congress. [In] both parties, we have really good friends and champions of our cause. This goes beyond ideological issues,” she said.
Machado was barred from running in last year’s presidential election and backed Edmundo Gonzalez, whom she and the opposition claim actually won, a position adopted by the US government, which hasn’t recognized Maduro as Venezuela’s president since 2019. The first Trump administration backed a failed coup against Maduro at the time, which involved recognizing opposition figure Juan Guaido as the “interim president,” imposing harsh economic sanctions, and covert CIA operations.
US officials have made clear that the real goal of the current military campaign in the Caribbean is regime change in Venezuela, and the Trump administration is considering bombing the country. Machado and other opposition figures insist that once Maduro is gone, a “peaceful transition” can happen, but a war would likely destabilize the country.
This article originally appeared at Antiwar.com.
