Nobel Laureate Maria Corina Machado on Regime Change in Venezuela

Summary

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Up First (NPR) – Special Bonus Episode

Title: Nobel Laureate Maria Corina Machado on Regime Change in Venezuela
Air Date: October 11, 2025
Host: Ayesha Rascoe
Guest: Maria Corina Machado, 2025 Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Venezuelan Opposition Leader

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Episode Overview

This special episode features an exclusive conversation with Maria Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader recently awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. Speaking from hiding due to threats from Venezuela’s ruling party, Machado discusses her motivation to stay in Venezuela, international involvement, the future of democracy in her country, and her hopes for both Venezuela and the greater Americas. The interview explores her vision for regime change, the role of international actors (especially the U.S.), and her message for individuals fighting for democracy globally.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Reaction to Winning the Nobel Peace Prize

• Unanticipated Honor: Machado expresses her surprise and disbelief at winning the Nobel Prize.

  “Of course not. Absolutely not. I'm still in shock. I think it's still unbelievable.” (02:12, Machado)

2. Staying in Venezuela Despite Threats

• Commitment to Country: Machado chooses to remain in Venezuela, despite personal danger, out of a sense of duty to her people and belief that her presence is more impactful there.

  “I only conceived my life in freedom and in my country, in Venezuela… The main asset we've had during these long years is precisely the will of the people.” (02:35, Machado)

• The Power of Modern Communication: She leverages technology to stay connected with international audiences and advocates for Venezuelans' rights globally.

3. The 2024 Venezuelan Presidential Election & Mandate for Regime Change

• Ballots, Not Bullets: Machado argues the Venezuelan people's will was clearly expressed in the ballots, even with the unfair and fraudulent electoral conditions, and asserts an urgent mandate for regime change.

  "This is an issue. The main issue here is the will of the Venezuelan people. That was expressed using ballots, not bullets... We won because of the people. And now we will enforce this mandate of regime change very soon." (03:16, Machado)

4. Dedication of her Nobel Peace Prize

• To Venezuelans and Donald Trump: Machado controversially dedicates the prize both to Venezuelans and former President Trump, emphasizing his role in responding to conflicts in the Americas and promoting democracy.

  “I dedicate it to the people of Venezuela and President Trump because... for what he's doing right now for the Americas. Because this is not only about Venezuela... we will have the Americas free of communism and narco dictatorships.” (03:49, Machado)

5. U.S. Military Strikes on Boats Leaving Venezuela

• Linking Regime to Narcotrafficking: Machado claims the Venezuelan government has become a central channel for drug trafficking in the region, led by criminal networks at the state level.

  “Everybody knows that the cartel of Dos Soles is one of the main criminal structures in the world. Maduro is the head of that cartel.” (04:50, Machado)

• On U.S. Military Action: While sidestepping direct endorsement of military strikes, she stresses the need to “cut the flows of illegal criminal business.”

  “I believe that you need to cut the flows of illegal criminal business... we have been asking for years, the international community, to stop those flows.” (05:44, Machado)

6. On U.S. Intervention and the Path to Democracy

• Addressing Regime Change: Machado reframes the issue not as foreign intervention but as the execution of the Venezuelan people’s already-established will for transition to democracy.

  “Regime change was already mandated by the... people. On July 28, 2024, we won by a landslide… it is not regime change. What we're talking about is a transition to democracy.” (06:31, Machado)

• Vision for the Future: She claims Venezuela is already in chaos and asserts readiness for a peaceful, orderly transition, with confidence that millions will return to rebuild the country.

• On U.S. Military Action: Machado ties the ideas of peace, freedom, and the necessity of “strength when you are facing a criminal structure” (07:45, Machado), but avoids directly calling for military intervention.

7. Evaluating Trump as an Ally & U.S. Policies

• Mixed Record: Pressed on Trump’s ambivalent policies regarding Venezuelan refugees and continued business ties, Machado expresses confidence in his administration’s stance toward security threats from Maduro’s regime.

  “I have no doubt President Trump has been clear in his message regarding the national security of the United States and the security of the Americas as a whole... this is a win-win situation.” (08:21, Machado)

• Economic Opportunity: She argues regime change would open immense investment opportunities and expedite the return of Venezuelan migrants.

8. Message to Ordinary Citizens on Defending Democracy

• Empowering Individuals: Machado calls on average citizens to embrace their responsibilities and the civic duty required to protect democracy, drawing lessons from Venezuelan society’s resilience.

  “The people is not an abstract concept. It's made by millions of conscious citizens that understand that citizenship has to do with rights and duties.” (10:04, Machado)

• Legacy of the Struggle: She emphasizes the generation’s unique appreciation for freedom and expects this hard-won experience to strengthen Venezuela’s future institutions.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Freedom and Presence:

  “I only conceived my life in freedom and in my country, in Venezuela.” (02:35, Machado)

• On the Interconnected Fight for Democracy:

  “Once Maduro goes and we liberate our country, the Cuban regime will follow, the Nicaraguan regime will follow... for the first time in history, we will have the Americas free of communism and narco dictatorships.” (03:49, Machado)

• On International Drug Cartels and State Capture:

  “Maduro is the head of that cartel and they have taken over of the state. The cartel has taken control of everything.” (04:50, Machado)

• On the Role of Every Citizen:

  “The people is not an abstract concept. It's made by millions of conscious citizens...” (10:04, Machado)

• On the Cost and Value of Freedom:

  “We will achieve freedom with a huge, huge cost, great pain. But there's no other generation in the history of Venezuela that values freedom... as we do.” (10:38, Machado)

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Key Timestamps

• [02:12] – Machado reacts to the Nobel Peace Prize news
• [02:35] – Why she stays in Venezuela despite personal danger
• [03:16] – The mandate from the people and the idea of regime change
• [03:49] – Dedication of Nobel Prize and implications for Latin America
• [04:50] – On Venezuela's ties to drug cartels and U.S. military action
• [06:31] – The distinction between regime change and democratic transition
• [07:45] – On military intervention, peace, and freedom
• [08:21] – The Trump administration’s stance and U.S.-Venezuela relations
• [10:04] – Machado's message to citizens about protecting democracy

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Summary

In this urgent, intimate interview, Maria Corina Machado lays out a stark portrayal of contemporary Venezuela—a nation beset by authoritarianism, yet powered by civic courage, as exemplified by her own leadership and the people's electoral actions. She frames Venezuela’s struggle as pivotal for the entire Americas, connects the fight for freedom to international security concerns, and balances hope for a peaceful democratic transition with pragmatic calls for external strength and solidarity. Throughout, she repeatedly returns to the central role of ordinary citizens in securing and sustaining freedom—not just in Venezuela, but everywhere democracy is threatened.

Transcript

[Aisha]

Now a special bonus episode of Up First. It's a conversation with the winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize from an undisclosed location as she continues to fear for her safety at the hands of Venezuela's ruling party. That's in just a moment.

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[Aisha]

The committee says she is, quote, one of the most extraordinary examples of civilian courage in Latin America in recent times. That committee is the Nobel Committee, and they are referring to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, whom they have honored with 2025's Nobel Peace Prize. She's been in hiding since last year when Nicolas Maduro claimed victory in an election widely seen by independent experts as fraudulent. And she joins us now. Maria Carina Machado, congratulations.

[Maria Corina Machado]

Thank you so much, Aisha. My pleasure.

[Aisha]

What was it like to receive that phone call? Were you expecting it?

[Maria Corina Machado]

Of course not. Absolutely not. I'm still in shock. I think it's still unbelievable.

[Aisha]

Well, you have been shot at, targeted by federal prosecutors, banned from running for office. You are in hiding right now. Why stay in Venezuela when you can leave and rally the world to your cause?

[Maria Corina Machado]

Well, first of all, because I only conceived my life in freedom and in my country, in Venezuela. And secondly, because I believe I'm much more useful for our cause here, close to our people. The main asset we've had during these long years is precisely the will of the people. Fortunately, we have these technology means nowadays that I can talk to you and millions around the world, leaders around the world, and convey what's going on in Venezuela from here and we're seeing that they are finally acting and supporting this cause. But at the end, this is an issue. The main issue here is the will of the Venezuelan people. That was expressed using ballots, not bullets, ballots, a year ago. And we won by a landslide in an election that was absolutely fraudulent, in extreme unfair conditions. But we won because of the people. And now we will enforce this mandate of regime change very soon.

[Aisha]

You dedicated your Nobel to President Trump. Is that because you hope that he will help to force Maduro out?

[Maria Corina Machado]

I dedicate it to the people of Venezuela and President Trump because I think it's the correct thing to do. Not only for what he has been doing in the last months to solve long and painful conflicts around the world, but precisely for what he's doing right now for the Americas. Because this is not only about Venezuela. I want you to assure something. Once Maduro goes and we liberate our country, the Cuban regime will follow, the Nicaraguan regime will follow. And for the first time in history, for the first time in history, we will have the Americas free of communism and narco dictatorships.

[Aisha]

The US Military has attacked small boats leaving Venezuela. It says they were carrying drugs, but it hasn't offered evidence to that effect. Do you support those strikes, even though they may amount to extrajudicial killings?

[Maria Corina Machado]

Well, first of all, there is no doubt that Venezuela has turned the main channel of cocaine and drug trafficking in the region. So everybody knows that the cartel of Dos Soles is one of the main criminal structures in the world. Maduro is the head of that cartel and they have taken over of the state. The cartel has taken control of the everything. And it's torturing, destroying, persecuting millions of Venezuela. They have forced a third of our population to flee. And they are destabilizing intentionally the region and undermining the institutions in the United States because they have turned Venezuela into the safe haven of the enemies of the United States, Iran, China, Russia, Hezbollah, Hamas and other others.

[Aisha]

Do you think that those strikes then are justified in your eyes?

[Maria Corina Machado]

I believe that you need to cut the flows of illegal criminal business. The regime has. We have been asking for years, the international community, to stop those flows.

[Aisha]

To stop, you know, are military strikes a good way to do that?

[Maria Corina Machado]

Well, I think at this point, Maduro has a decision in his own hands. He can stop this process from escalating.

[Aisha]

Right now, the Maduro government is saying that the Trump administration is using these strikes as a pretext for regime change. Would you feel comfortable if the US Hit targets on Venezuelan soil? The history of US Intervention on the continent is not a happy one.

[Maria Corina Machado]

Well, first of all, I want to be very clear with this. Regime change was already mandated by the renaissance people. On July 28, 2024, we won by a landslide the presidential election, and we proved it with over 85% of the original tally sheets. He was defeated. So it is not regime change. What we're talking about is a transition to democracy. And this is a very important point because the narrative of the regime right now is that if Maduro goes, cows will come to Venezuela. That's absolutely false. Venezuela is in profound, total chaos right now. We are ready and we will handle a peaceful, smooth transition to democracy that will make millions of Venezuela that have been forced to flee to come immediately back to build their country.

[Aisha]

Do you want the US to intervene using the military to bring democracy to Venezuela? As you are talking about?

[Maria Corina Machado]

Look, you cannot have peace without freedom and you cannot have freedom without strength when you are facing a criminal structure.

[Aisha]

Do you feel like Trump is a reliable ally? I mean, he still has a relationship with Maduro, Chevron is still in Venezuela, and Trump has worked very hard to end the temporary protected status for 300,000 Venezuelans who fled to the US to try to get away from the kind of Venezuelan leadership that you have long opposed.

[Maria Corina Machado]

I have no doubt that President Trump has been clear in his message regarding the national security of the United States and the security of the Americas as a whole. And I think it is not only him, but the whole administration, a great team ensembled by people that truly understand the threats that pose the Maduro regime to the American people. And this is a win win situation. Because think of this. We will create a security shield in the heart of our continent. We will push out Iranians and Russians and terrorist groups, and we will dismantle the criminal networks such as the trender agua that have done so much harm not only in the United States, but the whole region. But also we will open huge opportunities for business and investment. We're Talking about over 1.7 trillion opportunity in only a few sectors. Venezuela is unique in terms of our natural endowments, and we're only three hours away from Florida. So this is huge from our perspective. And in addition to that, we will see the minute Maduro goes hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan migrants coming back home. We need them. We want here, we want our children back home to build a prosperous, bright nation.

[Aisha]

When the committee called to tell you that you'd won, you said, I'm just one person. What is your message to the average person out there? Who think I'm just one person. What can I do to protect democracy?

[Maria Corina Machado]

That's a super important question, Aisha, because I think that the main lesson that we have learned of in response during these long years is co responsibility. This has to do with you. And you know, we have been building trust among each other. We have tearing down the barriers that the regime had built to divide Venezuelan society. But we have promoted and we have learned that it all depends on you, on the people. The people is not an abstract concept. It's made by millions of conscious citizens that understand that citizenship has to do with rights and duties. I think this is the main lesson this generation has learned. And that's why I think that we will achieve freedom with a huge, huge cost, great pain. But there's no other generation in the history of Venezuela that values freedom, values being able to be and live in your country and values family, having your family together, your children at home, as we do. From cultural perspective, this is also a great threshold in our history. And for good and for good and for long, you are going to build institutions that I know that will last for centuries to come.

[Aisha]

That's Maria Karina Machado, winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. Thank you so much for joining us.

[Maria Corina Machado]

Thank you. My pleasure.

[Aisha]

Today's bonus episode of up first was produced by Samantha Balaban and edited by Ed McNulty. For more coverage and analysis of Maria Karina Machado, Nicolas Maduro and the buildup of U.S. forces near Venezuela, visit our website, npr.org.

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