Maria Corina Machado offers Maduro peaceful exit amid crisis

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado told AFP on Monday that Nicolás Maduro’s time in power is over, but he can still leave peacefully. She offered Maduro guarantees if he steps down, but warned that if he resists, the consequences will be his alone. “With or without negotiation, he will leave power,” she said.

Machado, still processing her recent Nobel Peace Prize win, plans to use it, along with US pressure, to push for Maduro’s ouster. She also emphasized offering guarantees to the military and public officials who help with the transition, noting that many in the military are already reaching out.

She also acknowledged the mounting tension, with US military buildup near Venezuela’s coast and possible strikes targeting the country. Machado declined to speculate on US intervention but pointed to the growing crisis within the regime, calling it a “final and decisive phase.”