Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has promised that she will lead the country “when the time is right”.
“There is a mission, and we are going to make Venezuela that land of grace, and I believe that I will be elected when the time is right as the president of Venezuela, the first female president,” he said on Fox News.
His comments come a day after his gave President Donald Trump his Nobel Peace Prize medalcalling it recognition of his commitment to the independence of Venezuela.
The US arrested Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas on 3 January and extradited him to New York to face various drug and weapons charges.
However, Trump has refused to endorse Machado as Venezuela’s new leader, saying he does not have enough support at home – despite his opposition movement claiming victory in the 2024 widely contested election.
Instead, he faced the interim president of the country, Delcy Rodríguez, who is Maduro’s vice-president.
“I want to serve my country where I am more useful. I got an order, and I have that order,” added Machado.
He also visited Congress to meet US senators during his visit to Washington, where his remarks to reporters were drowned out by supporters chanting “María, presidente” and waving Venezuelan flags.
While in Caracas, Rodríguez held a two-hour meeting with the CIA director “at the direction of President Trump” aimed at building trust and communication between the two countries, according to a US official.
“Director Ratcliffe discussed potential opportunities for economic collaboration and that Venezuela will no longer be a safe haven for America’s enemies,” the official said.
On the same day, Rodríguez said he was not afraid to confront the US “diplomatically, through political dialogue” during his first state of the union address since becoming interim president.
He also said Venezuela must defend its “dignity and honor” and announced reforms to the oil industry to allow more foreign investment, in a move away from Maduro’s policies.
Trump called Rodríguez a “terrible person” on Wednesday after the pair spoke on the phone, a conversation the Venezuelan leader called “productive and respectful”.