The next is the transcript of the complete interview with Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Dec. 14, 2025.
This interview was taped on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We go now to María Corina Machado, Venezuelan opposition chief who joins us from Norway the place she simply acquired the Nobel Peace Prize. Welcome to ‘Face the Nation.’
MARÍA CORINA MACHADO: Thanks very a lot, Margaret. It’s my pleasure.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You face arrest by the Maduro regime. I do know you went by means of extraordinary problem simply getting in a foreign country and to Norway. You mentioned you bought help from america authorities to take action. Are you able to inform us what sort of help?
MACHADO: Really, I choose to not give away any particulars, as a result of I don’t wish to improve the chance on women and men that helped me to be right here. And the regime has been, you already know, very merciless towards these that previously have helped different Venezuelans flee the nation once they have been persecuted. So on this case, I do choose to guard them as a lot as potential.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I perceive that. The pinnacle of the non-public rescue group, who mentioned he helped you come out of Venezuela, spoke to my CBS colleague, Lilia Luciano, and mentioned smuggling you out was very excessive threat since you are so well-known. You traveled by land, by sea, by air. He mentioned a number of donors paid for it. Have you learnt why it was so essential to them so that you can make it to Norway and obtain that prize?
MACHADO: Effectively, I frankly do not know. And as I say, I’m not going to present extra info relating to my journey to Norway. However what am I going to say- how essential it’s for the Venezuelan folks. This can be a recognition to a nation that has fought tirelessly, courageously towards a prison, narcoterrorist construction and- and I got here to obtain that prize, that award, and I’m going to convey it again house to the Venezuelan folks as quickly as potential.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You say you’re going again house. I do know you despatched your individual kids out of Venezuelan territory with a purpose to defend them, your sons, your daughter. I learn you hadn’t even seen your daughter in 16 months. That’s an unbelievable sacrifice for anybody. Are they involved that you just plan to return to Venezuela? When are you going?
MACHADO: After all, they’re involved as every other Venezuelan little one that has their mother and father or kinfolk again in our nation, as a result of the regime, as I mentioned, has persecuted, tortured, killed, disappeared, 1000’s of Venezuelans, and lately it has turned much more violent as a result of, you already know when, when a prison regime is falling aside they usually know their days are numbered, they flip much more aggressive, much more violent. Simply a few weeks in the past, a 16 12 months outdated lady was kidnapped and brought away to jail simply because they have been on the lookout for her brother, and since they couldn’t discover her brother, they took Samantha. So that is the sorts of actions which are at present occurring in my nation. So sure, my household is worried, however they know I’ve mentioned that I can be the place I’m extra helpful to our trigger, and that’s precisely what I’m going to do.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You consider it’s essential to assist the trigger from contained in the nation proper now. Are you able to assist us perceive what’s going on, as a result of we’re seeing right here within the US a rise within the stress marketing campaign. Extra sanctions on Venezuelan people and vessels. We noticed an armed seizure of a vessel carrying oil out of Venezuela. Promoting oil on the black market is absolutely essential cash for the Maduro regime. Do you endorse this concept of extra seizures and presumably even a blockade?
MACHADO: Look, I completely help President Trump’s technique, and we, the Venezuelan folks, are very grateful to him and to his administration, as a result of I consider he’s a champion of freedom on this hemisphere. And that’s why, and I say this from Oslo proper now, I had devoted this award to him as a result of I feel that he lastly has put Venezuela in the place it must be, when it comes to a precedence for america nationwide safety. And we do help these actions, as a result of, Margaret, we face, not a traditional dictatorship. This can be a very complicated prison construction that has turned Venezuela right into a secure haven of worldwide crime and terrorist actions, beginning with Russia, Iran, Cuba, Hezbollah, Hamas, the Colombian guerrilla, the drug cartels working freely and directed in partnership with Maduro and his regime. And as each prison construction is suffers, is when the inflows from their prison actions are minimize. And these, within the case of Maduro regime, comes from the oil black market to drug trafficking, gold smuggling, arm smuggling, even human smuggling and trafficking. In order that’s what we consider, it was so essential to use, you already know, legislation enforcement, and now we have been asking this for years, so it’s lastly occurring. That’s why I consider the regime has its days numbered.
MARGARET BRENNAN: It sounds such as you help extra sanctions and presumably extra seizures of oil, however isn’t there a threat that reducing off cash will additional harm the already impoverished folks of Venezuela? Isn’t {that a} threat?
MACHADO: After all. What we’re doing is for the properly being of the Venezuelan folks. What we wish to do is to save lots of lives, however Maduro was the one who declared a conflict on the Venezuelan folks. A conflict we didn’t need. A conflict we’re struggling with a whole bunch of 1000’s of killings and compelled executions within the final years. And proper now, I wish to be very clear with the worldwide group, the assets Maduro will get aren’t going to varsities or hospitals in Venezuela a trainer earns $1 a day. Pensions are lower than $1 a month. Our youngsters go twice per week to high school. The sources, the money the regime will get from these unlawful actions goes to purchase arms, to pay gang members to spy and infiltrate and to even additional improve their unlawful narcotics actions and so forth. So these assets aren’t going for, to- in the direction of the folks. They’re going for corruption and crime.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So it sounds such as you need much more seizures and a blockade. Is that right?
MACHADO: We would like each authorized motion by means of legislation enforcement a- method, not solely from america, additionally from different Caribbean, Latin American and European international locations that additional block the unlawful actions of the regime. Why? As a result of we have to improve the price of staying in energy by power. When you arrive to that time by which the price of staying in energy is greater than the price of leaving energy, the regime will disintegrate, and it’s the second the place we, you already know, advance right into a negotiated transition. Which is what at first we supplied Maduro after we received the presidential election by landslide final 12 months, however he not solely refused that possibility, however he, as you already know, unleashed the worst, most brutal repression wave we’ve seen in our historical past.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And eight million Venezuelans have fled–
MACHADO: That’s right.
MARGARET BRENNAN: –since he got here to energy throughout that point, however when it comes to the diplomacy, President Trump spoke with Maduro himself final month. We haven’t seen any proof although, that diplomacy, a negotiated exit such as you talked about, is going on. Are you seeing diplomatic success?
MACHADO Effectively, within the final years, Venezuela has seen 17 dialog initiatives, not as soon as, not twice, 17. Each single time the opposition or our allies or america have complied with each single factor we supplied, the regime of the nation has violated each single factor they supplied on their very own half. What did they get? They obtained time, they obtained legitimacy, they obtained cash, and that’s exactly what they suppose they will get once more, as soon as once more. However definitely, issues have modified very a lot within the final months, Venezuela is whole completely different nation. I imply, Maduro is weaker than ever. The Armed Forces, police are definitely divided and fractured, and our nation is united, cohesive, and we lastly have the administration, on this case, President Trump with a transparent technique that really represents a reputable menace for the regime. So if we had ever had an opportunity to lastly transfer forward into, in the direction of democracy in our nation, it’s at this time.
MARGARET BRENNAN: What proof do you’ve that the army is weaker than ever? Was your escape proof of that?
MACHADO: Effectively, to start with, now we have the proof that the large majority of the army need change, and that was- we noticed that on July 28, 2024, that the army have been ordered to expel our electoral witnesses from the polling stations and to disclaim our proper to the unique tally sheets they usually disobeyed that order. Even in these polling stations the place we all know there’s a excessive participation of army, we received by a landslide. Extra lately, we’ve seen increasingly more members of the army discovering methods to attach with us, to ship messages to, to, to indicate that they’re feeling the identical of what the remainder of the nation is feeling. When, once they, this army return house, they discover their kids, their mom, their companions, saying that they’re hungry, that they’re persecuted, that their households have been divided. They’re scared. Sure, they’re scared, as a result of repression and persecution within the army is even more durable than on civilians.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So President Trump mentioned that land strikes to cease drug trafficking particularly will begin quickly. He has been saying that for weeks. Have you learnt what he’s speaking about? Has he promised you something?
MACHADO: No, I don’t know. And properly, if I knew, I wouldn’t say it, in fact. But it surely’s not the case. We aren’t concerned, and we won’t get entangled into one other nation’s coverage for their very own nationwide safety.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However would you welcome U.S. army motion?
MACHADO: I’ll welcome increasingly more stress in order that Maduro understands that he has to go, that his time is over. And I’ll insist one thing that I’ve mentioned a number of instances earlier than, this isn’t standard regime change. This can’t be in comparison with different instances, like international locations within the Center East, we had an election. Regime change was already mandated by over 70% of the inhabitants, and what we’d like is help to implement that call.
MARGARET BRENNAN: How do you sq. army motion with receiving a peace prize? Are we on the level it’s obligatory?
MACHADO: What we’re preventing for is exactly freedom with a purpose to have democracy and democracy, with a purpose to have peace. And with a purpose to preserve freedom and to realize freedom, you do want energy. The opposite can be the peace of the lifeless, by which you’ve a rustic below absolute oppression and easily given in. And that’s not the case. It’s completely absurd that you just see a regime, a prison regime like Maduro, that will get help from Russia or from Iran after which as a profit to unknown folks, to not ask help from democratic international locations and Democratic leaders, that’s absolute, absurd. We don’t have arms. We’ve got our will. We’ve got the ability of group and the ability of affection, which on the finish, I’ve to say that peace is in the end an act of affection.
MARGARET BRENNAN: The regime itself has performed various issues. They’ve revoked TV licenses for journalists to broadcast, broadcast in truth. He has jailed journalists. The United Nations says the Nationwide Guard focused political opponents, dedicated sexual violence, tortured folks and dedicated different crimes towards humanity. So from the place you sit is Maduro stepping down sufficient? Or do you want the whole regime dismantled? During which case that appears like a rustic in collapse.
MACHADO: That’s an excellent query, as a result of definitely Maduro is the pinnacle of the construction, however it’s like every other mafia system. You might have households or teams that function and typically even compete amongst one another. There are completely different levels within the crimes they’ve dedicated, definitely those who have dedicated crimes towards humanity which were reported by the very fact discovering missions of the United Nations ought to face justice, native justice and worldwide justice. There are different members of the regime or the armed forces which have dedicated lesser crimes. And definitely we’ll seek for justice, not revenge. However this, I’m going to insist, what we’re residing proper now’s chaos. Maduro signify chaos. We’re going to place order. And this entire concept, you already know, folks speaking a few threat of a civil conflict and so forth. Whoever says that has no concept in any respect about what Venezuela is. I imply, we’re definitely essentially the most cohesive society within the area, I might dare to say, maybe on the planet. I imply, Venezuelan society has no spiritual, social, regional, racial confrontations or tensions on the nation. 90% of our inhabitants need the identical, need the regime to go instantly, and we wish to work exhausting to stay with freedom. We would like no extra socialism, however most of all, we would like our kids again house.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Understood, however respectfully, you even have acknowledged that the drug cartels are exploiting your nation, that Russia is exploiting your nation, Iran, Cuba, China. Simply yesterday, Vladimir Putin spoke with Maduro and mentioned their strategic partnership is rising. Are you involved right here that Russia goes to shore up help for the army and intelligence?
MACHADO: Effectively, I’m, I’m completely satisfied that Putin desires the world to suppose that, particularly desires President Trump to suppose that, about that. However I might ask you a query, do you suppose Putin has assets to spare presently? Or does he has-something that’s extra pressing for him to take a position these assets. I imply serving to a regime that it’s going to disintegrate anyway, no matter what he does. I don’t suppose it’s a precedence for him. Nonetheless, I don’t underestimate what the residual actors of Chavismo may be planning on doing as soon as we’re in a transition to democracy. And that may require very environment friendly actions to isolate and neutralize these threats. And you already know, we’ve work very exhausting to know what’s the true nature of our armed forces proper now, figuring out these army which we consider could possibly be supportive of a tran- transition to democracy and the brand new gov–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –Have they pledged that to you?
MACHADO: A few of them, sure, and we consider that over 80% of our armed forces would be a part of and help the democratic motion as soon as the transition is in place.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So inform me about that transition. I- we checked and when Secretary Rubio was sworn into workplace, you have been one of many very first cellphone calls that he made. On day two.
MACHADO: Me and President-elect Edmundo González, it was the 2 of us–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –That’s proper, that’s proper, he’s deeply . So I’m excited about what has been promised to you if and when Maduro and his regime go away, what sort of help do it’s worthwhile to maintain the nation collectively to stop one other refugee disaster? And do you’ve that pledge from the American authorities now?
MACHADO: We are going to want lots of help, recommendation, info, expertise, not solely from america, additionally from multilateral organizations, a few of which we’re already working collectively. Not solely in safety points however energy provide, meals provide. How will we convey, you already know, put order in our monetary accounts? How will we restructure our debt? How we open markets for worldwide funding and provides safety to worldwide funding in oil, in gasoline, in infrastructure, vital minerals? I imply, Venezuela is exclusive when it comes to the quantity of the pure endowments now we have. And you already know, we’re positioned at three hours by airplane from Florida. So it’s exhausting to suppose, you already know, on this shortening of the provision chains that’s within the near-shoring course of happening a greater ally within the area than Venezuela. And on the identical time, you already know, turning Venezuela from the prison hub of the Americas right into a safety protect for america and for the remainder of the area, is a high precedence for all. So, you already know, now we have the plans prepared. We’ve got the groups prepared. We all know what now we have to do the primary 100 hours and the following 100 days. However most significantly, and I wish to insist on this, now we have the folks. I imply, that is one thing that it’s- I’ve heard as soon as, time and again all evaluation go away the folks on the aspect, when that’s crucial power that now we have proper now. That’s why we’re the place we’re proper now. And the Venezuelan folks wish to transfer forward as soon as we conquered democracy again, would have cost- has value us so many lives, so many- a lot ache, that you will note the nation taking good care of it. The folks would be the foremost supply of stability. However definitely we glance ahead for- to cooperation with our foremost allies. And naturally, our foremost ally can be america of America.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Would that embrace US peacekeeping troops or different troops on the bottom?
MACHADO: I can not reply that query proper now. I don’t suppose that’s the case. There are different international locations which have supplied help as properly with a purpose to strengthen democratic establishments as soon as the government-elect is in place, however that we must deal with that when now we have the, you already know, the government-elect in place and put so as, bringing order again to our nation. And one factor that you just talked about earlier than concerning the, you already know, the refugee disaster, it’s going to be precisely the nation. The day Maduro goes, you will note 10s of 1000s, a whole bunch of 1000s of Venezuelan migrants coming again house from america and all around the world. I imply, our diaspora is determined to return to Venezuela. So even from that perspective, it’s a win, win scenario to have democracy in Venezuela.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you suppose it’s secure for these Venezuelans in America to return there now some short-term protected standing was simply revoked by the president for greater than half one million Venezuelans right here. Is it secure for them?
MACHADO: Completely not. It is going to be secure as soon as Maduro is gone, and each single citizen can be, you already know, leaving freedom and respect in in the direction of the legislation. We are going to convey again rule of legislation. We are going to liberate our political prisoners, and everyone can be free to talk out what they really feel, what they suppose, what they need for the long run, of their very own future and their households.
MARGARET BRENNAN: María Corina Machado, we thanks on your time at this time, and we’ll be watching.
MACHADO: I thanks, Margaret, for this nice alternative, and God bless Venezuela. Venezuela can be free.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We’ll be proper again.
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