(MENAFN- Live Mint) Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado's opposition to President Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela aligns with the Donald Trump administration's own stance on Venezuela, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously praised her as“the personification of resilience, tenacity, and patriotism.”

Maria Corina Machado's Nobel Peace Prize win has been celebrated by many, but it has also drawn criticism and concern, particularly among Venezuelans facing deportation in the United States.

Also Read: Donald Trump and Venezuela's Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado have something in common; what is it?

Despite her recognition of democracy in Venezuela, critics view Machado's close alignment with Trump's hardline policies on the country.

Following her Nobel win, Machado posted on X, dedicating the prize to“the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause,” sparking further debate over the political implications of her recognition.

'She is in the US camp': What Venezuelans think of Machado?

Frank Carreño, the former president of the Venezuelan American Chamber of Commerce who has lived in Doral, the city known as“Little Venezuela,” for 18 years, was pleased with the news that Machado won the Nobel Prize but warned that Machado will not pressure Trump to protect Venezuelans living in the US, as reported by AP.

“She sees the United States government as part of her strategy to restore democracy to Venezuela,” the Venezuelan American said.“She's in that camp, not in this camp.”

José Antonio Colina, a retired Venezuelan military officer who arrived in South Florida in 2003, said the Nobel Prize represents a recognition of Machado's fight for democracy and liberty in Venezuela.

“We hope that the award can give impetus or strength to remove Nicolas Maduro from power,” said Colina, a refugee in the US.

Machado pens Israel's Netanyahu for“regime change”

Critics highlighted that the past support for Israel's bombing campaign in Gaza and its calls for foreign intervention to overthrow Venezuela's government.

In 2018, Machado wrote a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, requesting his help to effect a“regime change” against Venezuela's democratically elected administration.

Machado promised“unwavering support for Israel and to move the embassy to Jerusalem”.

See the letter here:

Machado's letter to Netanyahu.

While Maria Corina Machado expressed solidarity with Israel following the 7 October 2023, Hamas attack, she has not explicitly voiced support for the killing of Palestinians.

Machado's post on Israel-Gaza war.

However, her critics have pointed to a series of public statements over the years that highlight her strong alignment with Netanyahu.

In one post on X, Machado said,“The struggle of Venezuela is the struggle of Israel.”

Over the past decade, millions of Venezuelans have been forced to flee their country amid ongoing economic and political turmoil. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 7.7 million Venezuelans have left since 2014, marking the largest mass exodus in Latin America's recent history.

While the majority have resettled across the Americas, over 1 million have made their way to the United States.

Who is Machado? An Engineer-turned politician

Maria Corina Machado, an industrial engineer and the daughter of a Venezuelan steel magnate, began challenging the country's ruling party in 2004.

That year, she co-founded the non-governmental organisation Súmate, which pushed for a national referendum to recall then-President Hugo Chávez. Although the effort ultimately failed, Machado and other Súmate leaders were later charged with conspiracy.

She further drew the ire of Chávez and his allies in 2005 after meeting with then-U.S. President George W. Bush in the Oval Office, a move seen as provocative given Chávez's view of Bush as a hostile adversary.

Machado's full entry into politics came in 2010, when she was elected to Venezuela's National Assembly, winning more votes than any legislative candidate in the country's history at the time.

From her position in parliament, she famously confronted Chávez during a speech, accusing him of "theft" over his policy of expropriating private businesses.

For the next nine years, Maria Corina Machado maintained a relatively low profile, though she continued to support anti-Maduro initiatives, backed election boycotts, and criticised opposition leaders for engaging in negotiations with the government.

The struggle of Venezuela is the struggle of Israel hope that the award can give impetus or strength to remove Nicolas Maduro from power.

Her political comeback came when she won the opposition's presidential primary by a landslide, securing over 90% of the vote, a unifying moment for the fractured opposition, as highlighted by the Nobel Prize committee.

Meanwhile, opposition figure González fled to Spain after facing an arrest warrant, and Machado herself has not appeared in public since January, when she participated in protests against President Maduro's planned swearing-in ceremony.

MENAFN12102025007365015876ID1110182962