Who Is Maria Corina Machado: Trump's Ally and Backed by 70% of Venezuelans Now Geared for Control

Maria Corina Machado, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner and Venezuela's most prominent opposition leader, has emerged as the front-runner to lead her nation following the dramatic capture of President Nicolas Maduro by US forces on Saturday. The 58-year-old industrial engineer, who has spent over two decades fighting authoritarianism in Venezuela, commands the support of approximately 70% of Venezuelans, according to experts.

Following Maduro's capture, Machado issued her first public statement declaring that she and opposition candidate Edmundo González are prepared to 'immediately' lead a transitional government in the South American nation. 'Today we are prepared to enforce our mandate and take power,' she stated, adding: 'We are going to restore order, release the political prisoners, build an exceptional country, and bring our children back home.'

Venezuela's Iron Lady

Born on 7 October 1967, in Caracas, to steel industrialist Henrique Machado Zuloaga and psychologist Corina Parisca Pérez, Machado received her education at elite institutions, including Dana Hall boarding school in Wellesley, Massachusetts. She holds a degree in industrial engineering from Andrés Bello Catholic University and completed postgraduate studies in finance at the Institute of Advanced Studies in Administration, according to Britannica.

The mother of three first entered politics in 2002 as co-founder of Súmate, a volunteer civil organisation dedicated to electoral transparency. The group led a referendum in 2004, attempting to recall then-President Hugo Chávez from office over what they described as authoritarian policies.

In 2010, Machado won election to Venezuela's National Assembly with a record number of votes—the highest amongst all candidates in that electoral contest. However, the regime expelled her from office in 2014 after she addressed the Organization of American States about Venezuela's political crisis, according to the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

Trump's Most Vocal Latin American Ally

Machado's relationship with US President Donald Trump has become a defining feature of her political strategy. Upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in October 2025, she dedicated the honour to both 'the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause', according to her statement on social media platform X.

In a December interview with CBS News's 'Face the Nation', Machado declared: 'I absolutely support President Trump's strategy, and we, the Venezuelan people, are very grateful to him and to his administration, because I believe he is a champion of freedom in this hemisphere.' She praised Trump for placing Venezuela 'in where it should be, in terms of a priority for the United States national security'.

She even suggested Trump deserves a Nobel Peace Prize, telling Israel Hayom: 'Within just months in office, Trump led extraordinary initiatives to advance world peace...In Venezuela's case, we feel he particularly deserves the prize because he's the most consistent supporter of freedom and democracy in our hemisphere.'

The Stolen Election and Life in Hiding

Following the October 2023 primary elections, Machado was proclaimed the unitary presidential candidate of the opposition after winning with over 92% of the vote. However, the Maduro-controlled Supreme Tribunal of Justice banned her from running, claiming involvement in corruption.

Instead, Machado led a nationwide campaign supporting replacement candidate Edmundo González Urrutia in the July 2024 presidential election. The opposition collected systematic documentation showing González defeated Maduro by more than a 2-to-1 margin. Despite this, the government-run National Electoral Council declared Maduro the victor without presenting evidence.

Machado has spent the past 15 months in hiding within Venezuela, evading what she describes as fabricated 'narco-terrorism' charges. 'I've been in complete isolation for 15 months. If they find me, they'll disappear me—that's the best case,' she revealed in a recent interview.

She made a daring escape from Venezuela in December 2025 to accept her Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, reportedly involving a hazardous boat journey to Curaçao before boarding a private plane to Europe.

Poised for Power

President Trump has acknowledged he is 'making the decision' for who will govern Venezuela following Maduro's capture. 'We can't take a chance on letting somebody else...just take over where he left,' Trump told Fox News, adding: 'So we're making that decision now. We'll be involved in it very much. And we want to do liberty for the people.'

What's at Stake

Machado's potential ascension to power represents a critical juncture for Venezuela, a nation that has lost approximately eight million citizens—nearly a quarter of its population—to emigration under socialist rule. Her partnership with the Trump administration and overwhelming domestic support position her uniquely to lead Venezuela's transition from authoritarianism to democracy, though challenges remain in navigating the fragmented military and Chavista establishment that still hold significant influence.

The coming days will determine whether Venezuela's 'Iron Lady' can translate popular mandate into actual governance and deliver the freedom she has long promised her compatriots.