10 Photos of Maria Corina Machado: Trump's Latin America Ally Who's Now Set to Lead Venezuela

Maria Corina Machado, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner and Venezuela's most prominent opposition leader, has emerged as the likely next leader of her nation following the capture of President Nicolas Maduro by US forces on Saturday.

The 58-year-old industrial engineer has become one of President Donald Trump's strongest allies in Latin America, calling him 'a champion of freedom in this hemisphere'. Following Maduro's capture, Machado declared herself and opposition candidate Edmundo González ready to 'immediately' lead a transitional government.

An Elite Upbringing

Born on 7 October 1967 in Caracas, Machado is the eldest of four daughters born to steel industrialist Henrique Machado Zuloaga and psychologist Corina Parisca Pérez. She holds a degree in industrial engineering from Andrés Bello Catholic University and a master's degree in finance from Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Administración.

In 1990, Machado married Ricardo Sosa Branger, a Venezuelan businessman. The couple had three children—Ana Corina, Ricardo, and Henrique—before divorcing in 2001, according to Business Upturn. Her ex-husband later left Venezuela due to constant threats surrounding her activism. Due to safety concerns, all three of Machado's children currently live abroad.

From Philanthropy to Opposition Leader

In 1992, Machado founded Fundación Atenea, a non-profit organisation caring for orphaned street children in Caracas. A decade later, in 2002, she co-founded Súmate, a civic organisation promoting electoral transparency. The organisation led a 2004 referendum attempting to recall President Hugo Chávez from office.

In 2010, Machado was elected to Venezuela's National Assembly with a record number of votes. She served from 2011 to 2014, becoming one of the strongest opposition voices. However, after addressing the Organization of American States about human rights violations in March 2014, the regime expelled her from parliament. In 2013, she founded her political party, Vente Venezuela.

The Stolen Election and 15 Months in Hiding

In October 2023, Machado won the opposition primary with over 92% of the vote. However, the Maduro-controlled Supreme Tribunal of Justice banned her from running in the 2024 presidential election. She led a nationwide campaign supporting replacement candidate Edmundo González Urrutia instead.

The opposition collected documentation showing González defeated Maduro by more than a 2-to-1 margin in July 2024. However, the government-run National Electoral Council declared Maduro the victor without presenting evidence. Machado went into hiding, spending over 15 months evading fabricated 'narco-terrorism' charges.

A Daring Escape to Claim the Nobel Prize

On 10 October 2025, Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 'for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela'. In December 2025, she made a daring escape to Oslo involving a dangerous 150-mile sea crossing to Curaçao.

Bryan Stern of Grey Bull Rescue, who orchestrated the extraction, told PBS the difficulty was 'about 106' on a scale of one to 10. Her daughter Ana Corina accepted the award on her behalf at the ceremony. Machado arrived afterwards, embracing her family for the first time in two years.

A Staunch Trump Ally

Upon receiving the Nobel Prize, Machado dedicated it to 'the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause', according to her statement on X. In a December interview, she declared: 'I absolutely support President Trump's strategy...I believe he is a champion of freedom in this hemisphere,' as reported by CBS News.

Poised to Lead

Following Maduro's capture, Machado declared herself and González ready to lead Venezuela. 'Today we are prepared to enforce our mandate and take power,' she stated. Expert Jorge Jraissati told Fox News Digital that Machado and González 'have the support of 70% of Venezuelans' and would 'lead this transition period'.

Machado's potential ascension represents a critical moment for Venezuela, a nation that has lost approximately eight million citizens to emigration under socialist rule. Her partnership with the Trump administration and overwhelming domestic support position her uniquely to lead Venezuela's transition from authoritarianism to democracy, though significant challenges remain in navigating the fragmented military and Chavista establishment.