Venezuela, one of the world's richest countries in terms of underground resources (oil, gold), is currently at the center of global attention due to both its internal crises and its geopolitical significance.
Venezuela is a world leader with approximately 304 billion barrels of oil reserves. The country has approximately 53 tons of gold reserves. It is no coincidence that Venezuela is considered the pearl of Latin America due to its wealth.
The struggle for influence in Venezuela among the US, Russia, China, and regional powers has recently brought this country to the forefront of international politics.
On January 3, the US military operation in Venezuela to seize President Nicolás Maduro created a major shock effect in the international arena.
In place of N. Maduro, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was declared interim president. This rapid political change is being discussed both domestically and internationally.
Many expected that the US, having overthrown Nicolás Maduro, would bring opposition leader María Corina Machado in his place. However, Donald Trump did not do this and stood by Vice President Delcy Rodríguez.
Modern.az's information indicates that Trump's unwillingness to see Machado, the leader of the Venezuelan opposition, in the presidential post is linked to the latter receiving the Nobel Peace Prize last year.
The “Washington Post” newspaper wrote about this, citing sources close to the White House. The source told the newspaper that María Machado committed a “great sin” against Trump by accepting the Nobel Peace Prize:
“If she had refused the award in time and said, ‘I cannot accept this, because it belongs to Donald Trump,’ Machado would be the president of Venezuela today.”
57-year-old María Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in October 2025. The Nobel Committee considered that the female politician deserved this award for her “tireless struggle for the rights and democracy of the Venezuelan people, as well as her efforts to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy in her country.”
It should be recalled that one of the potential candidates for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize was US President Donald Trump. The reason given for this was the US leader's ending of several conflicts between some countries during his second presidency. Trump had previously been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize several times but had never won it. His statements to the press indicated that he himself very much wanted to receive this award.
Trump's failure to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize led to criticism in American political circles. The US President himself did not hide his dissatisfaction in his press statements about not being able to receive the “Nobel.”
After Maduro was arrested, Machado declared her readiness to seize power in Venezuela. However, Trump opposed this.
After the US military operation in Venezuela on January 3, Donald Trump stated to journalists that María Machado did not have the support and respect of the people to govern the country. According to foreign media, this statement by the US president was completely unexpected for the Venezuelan politician.
María Corina Machado was born on October 7, 1967, in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela.
She entered politics in 2002. Machado served as a member of the Venezuelan National Assembly from 2011 to 2014.
She is the national coordinator of the Vente Venezuela political party. Although she was the opposition's primary presidential candidate in 2012, she lost to her rival Henrique Capriles. During the 2014 Venezuelan protests, she was a leading figure organizing demonstrations against President Nicolás Maduro's government.
In 2023, Machado won the opposition's primary elections and became the main candidate for the 2024 presidential elections in Venezuela. However, she was unable to participate in the 2024 elections because she was disqualified from holding public office by the Venezuelan Comptroller General's Office in June 2023. This was because the Venezuelan Supreme Court of Justice upheld the said decision that same year.
In 2024, Machado was forced to go into hiding, fearing pressure from Nicolás Maduro's government.
María Machado is internationally recognized for her activism. She was one of BBC's 100 Women in 2018 and was included among Time magazine's 100 most influential people in 2025.
María Machado, the leader of the Venezuelan opposition, declared her readiness to present the Nobel Peace Prize to US President Donald Trump after the January 3 operation – the overthrow of Nicolás Maduro. She stated that she is willing to share the award as a sign of gratitude to Trump.
However, Machado's statement to “Fox News” did not soften US President Donald Trump.
On January 3, Nicolás Maduro, who was overthrown from the post of Venezuelan president, and his wife were apprehended by the US. They are currently being held in a US detention facility in Brooklyn.
A.Gorkhmaz
