Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, the recipient of this year's Nobel Peace Prize, said Sunday she is "absolutely" supportive of President Donald Trump's strategy toward Venezuela as his administration intensifies pressure on the government of President Nicolas Maduro.
"We, the Venezuelan people, are very grateful to him and to his administration, because I believe he is a champion of freedom in this hemisphere," Machado said on CBS' "Face the Nation."
Machado acknowledged that tougher sanctions and potential seizures tied to Venezuela's oil industry could deepen hardship for an already impoverished population.
But she said additional pressure is necessary to improve conditions over the long term.
"What we're doing is for the well-being of the Venezuelan people," she said, adding that Maduro "declared a war on the Venezuelan people."
Machado described that "war" as including "hundreds of thousands of killings and forced executions" in recent years, deaths she attributed to the Venezuelan government.
She also alleged the regime has "persecuted, tortured, killed, disappeared thousands of Venezuelans" and said it has become more violent recently as it faces increased internal strain.
Pressed on whether she wants more seizures and a blockade, Machado said she favors "every legal action through law enforcement approach" by the U.S., plus Caribbean, Latin American, and European countries, to "further block the illegal activities of the regime."
"We need to increase the cost of staying in power by force," Machado said. "Once you arrive at that point in which the cost of staying in power is higher than the cost of leaving power, the regime will fall apart," she added, saying that could open the door to a negotiated transition.
Maduro remained in power after last year's presidential election, even after tallies showed the opposition winning nearly 70% of the vote, Machado said.
She told CBS that circumstances have shifted significantly in recent months and called Venezuela a "totally different country."
"Maduro is weaker than ever," Machado said, adding that the armed forces and police are "divided and fractured" while the opposition is "united" and now faces an administration in Washington she said presents a "credible threat" to the government.
"If we had ever had a chance to finally move ahead ... towards democracy in our country, it's today," she said.
Machado said "the wide majority of the military want change," citing reported disobedience during last year's vote and what she described as more recent outreach from service members.
Asked whether she would welcome U.S. military action, Machado said she wants "more and more pressure" on Maduro, adding she does not think U.S. troops on the ground are necessary.
Machado also portrayed the Maduro government as part of what she called a "complex criminal structure," alleging it has turned Venezuela into a haven for international criminal and terrorist activity.
The actors, she said, include Russia, Iran, Cuba, Hezbollah, Hamas, Colombian guerrillas, and drug cartels.
Machado said some within the system may face justice after a transition, but insisted, "We will search for justice, not revenge."
Meanwhile, Machado said she doubts Russian President Vladimir Putin would prioritize propping up Maduro, questioning whether Russia has "resources to spare" and calling the regime's collapse inevitable.
She predicted that if Maduro leaves power, "tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands" of Venezuelan migrants would return home, calling a democratic transition "a win-win situation."
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