Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said after meeting President Trump that Venezuela will eventually hold “free and fair” elections, but emphasized that dismantling the country’s repression apparatus must come first.

Machado did not give a timeline for the transitional government, led in part by former Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, but stressed that security, rule of law, and the release of political prisoners are prerequisites for credible elections.

She praised Trump’s role in pressuring Nicolás Maduro’s regime and presented him with her Nobel Peace Prize medal, while downplaying any competition between herself and Rodríguez for U.S. support.

Machado criticized Rodríguez as a “communist” aligned with Russia, China, and Iran, arguing that the interim leadership must neutralize remnants of Maduro’s regime before rebuilding democratic institutions, Fox News has reported.

U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, outlined a three-phase approach—stabilization, recovery, and transition—while the White House indicated it would maintain significant influence over Venezuela’s interim authorities during the transition.