(Washington, January 28, 2026) Venezuelan leader María Corina Machado met this Wednesday with U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio. Following the meeting, which lasted 90 minutes and was held at the U.S. Department of State, the opposition leader sent a message to Venezuelans who are persecuted, detained, or living in hiding, stating that they are her “priority.”
“A message to each and every one of our political prisoners, to every Venezuelan who is being persecuted, to those who have had to live for years under terror and silence, and for months in hiding. I want to tell you that you are our absolute priority. From those who were recently disappeared and abducted in the month of January, to the very first political prisoners detained, such as the Metropolitan Police officers who have been imprisoned for 23 years, Luis Enrique Molina, Héctor Rovain, and Erasmo Bolívar,” Machado said after the meeting with Marco Rubio.
In that same context, she also highlighted the struggle of the mothers of political prisoners who have been protesting for several days outside detention and torture centers in Ramo Verde, El Helicoide, Zone 7, Las Crisálidas, El Rodeo, Yare, and Tocorón.
“All of these are torture centers where family members are present today with admirable courage,” she added.
She recalled that there are still more than 700 political prisoners.
“Three hundred and one have been released. There are 171 members of the military imprisoned. Not a single one has been released. In the month of January, 36 Venezuelans have been abducted,” she listed.
She also highlighted the actions of students who have demonstrated in recent days demanding the release of political prisoners.
“This would have been unthinkable just days ago in Venezuela. And this has been possible thanks to the decisive support we have received from the Government of the United States, from President Donald Trump, who in the end is the only government that has risked the lives of its own citizens for the freedom of Venezuela,” María Corina emphasized.
“I ask that at this moment we raise our voices”
After referring to the demonstrations, Machado called for voices to continue to be raised across the country in favor of freedom and a transition to democracy.
“I want to send strength to Venezuelans and ask that at this moment we raise our voices, that we do not abandon the prisoners and those who are persecuted. Each of us has a task to fulfill, and although I am not physically in Venezuela, my heart is with you, and very soon, very soon, I will be back in our country,” she added.
Regarding the country’s current situation, the Venezuelan leader emphasized that a real transition must be promoted in Venezuela, one in which no faction of the regime remains in power.
“We are willing and we are working to facilitate a real transition. This is not a Russian-style transition where criminal networks remain in power,” she responded when asked by the press whether she would be willing to enter a transitional government.
She stated that she can “assure Venezuelans that the transition to democracy will take place, because we have the backing of the world’s most important democracies and, very especially, the support of President Donald Trump’s administration.”
Machado’s response came just hours after the Secretary of State told the U.S. Senate that Machado could be part of a transition process in Venezuela.
“What we are trying to trigger here is a process of stabilization, recovery, and transition toward a situation in which María Corina and other individuals can take part,” Rubio said.
“I want to return to my country as soon as possible”
Finally, the opposition leader insisted that she hopes to return to Venezuela soon. She emphasized, however, that this desire is shared by millions of Venezuelans who were forced to migrate because of the crisis created by Nicolás Maduro’s regime.
“I want to return to my country as soon as possible. But this is not about me. It is about hundreds of political leaders who have been forced to leave, and about the millions of Venezuelans who are outside the country and want to return,” she said.
Key points from the meeting:
Foundations of the Transition: They discussed the reconstruction of democratic institutions as the indispensable basis for a legitimate transition.
Social Impact: The objective of enabling the safe return of millions of Venezuelans forced into exile and the reunification of families.
Economic Recovery: Restoring conditions for long-term investment and sustained economic growth.
María Corina Machado emphasized that rebuilding Venezuela is inseparable from democratic legitimacy, institutional strength, and clear guarantees for both citizens and investors, reaffirming that the Venezuelan people must remain at the center of the transition.
Finally, Machado expressed her gratitude to President Donald Trump and the U.S. administration for their decisive leadership in firmly placing Venezuela on the path toward freedom. Both reaffirmed their shared commitment to a free, sovereign, and reinstitutionalized Venezuela, capable of offering opportunities to its people and emerging as a stable and reliable partner in the hemisphere.