Transcription
With the dictator Maduro gone, but his deputies still in power there in Caracas, the question of who should lead Venezuela into this new era of democracy is an urgent one.
In an exclusive interview, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Karina Machado told us it's obvious to her who should lead next.
"Are you the person to lead Venezuela into that next chapter of freedom? Should you be the next leader of Venezuela?"
"Well, the people of Venezuela have already chosen and and if there's something I feel proud about is how Venezuelans have understand that this is a personal individual decision. It's it's not a matter only of leadership. It's a matter of a whole society doing it to do what it takes to to take responsibility for our own future."
"So, in other words, the answer is yes is what I'm hearing. You won that primary. You were then banned from running. I asked you, should you be the next leader of Venezuela. You say you already have won what's necessary to become it. So the answer is yes."
"Absolutely. Yes. And we have a presidentele who is and we are ready and willing to serve our people as we have been mandated."
The Trump administration and Donald Trump in particular surprised, even shocked some people by saying he does not support you as the next leader of Venezuela or your party. He said, "For you, you're nice, but you lack respect in the country and that it would be tough for you to lead." Have you spoken to him since Maduro's capture? And what would you say to him? What do you want him to know?
"No, I have not spoken to him this year. And uh I I have insisted in a clear message on behalf of the Venezuelan people. We are very very grateful. Uh few weeks ago people would have said it was impossible to reach this point and President Trump leadership and courage has brought Nicolas Maduro to face justice and this is huge. This is a major step towards restoring prosperity and rule of law and democracy in Venezuela."
Miss Machado, on that point, the people who put those individuals in prison, many of them are still in power. In fact, all of them, with the exception of of Maduro and the deputy of Maduro, a vice president of his, Deli Rodriguez, is now the interim president. She is in charge. Some people in the US say she's a moderate uh that she's going to cooperate with the US. What do you think? Do you think she's the right person to lead Venezuela right now?
"Everybody in Venezuela and abroad knows perfectly who she is and the role she has played. She was sanctioned by the United States government because of the corruption and all the involvement she has in criminal activities. Beyond that, she has been the architect, one of the main architects and director of the torture centers in Venezuela of repression of course or innocent people. And the main link, the main uh actor uh that has relations with Russia, with Iran and other countries that have, you know, obscure criminal activities in Venezuela. So certainly she's nothing but like a moderate. I think it's uh evident uh the United States has uh instructed her to take certain actions regarding further dismantling of the criminal structure as a path forward towards a complete transition to democracy in Venezuela."
It sounds like you're saying she's done a lot of bad in the past, but now she is a puppet of the United States.
"Well, I will not speculate once again. I think she is in a very critical uh position because nobody trusts her. Nobody."
And we'll be putting that full conversation online. And by the way, while I have you, we also asked Machado if she thought that a year from now she'd be in a position to be able to personally host me at the presidential palace there in Venezuela. She said, quote, "As soon as possible when Venezuela is