New Delhi, October 25, 2025: In an unprecedented global exclusive, Times Now becomes the only Indian channel to interview Maria Corina Machado, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Venezuelan opposition leader, and symbol of democratic resistance against President Nicolás Maduro’s regime. Speaking from an undisclosed location after being in hiding for 15 months, Machado opens up in an emotional and wide-ranging interview with Navika Kumar, Group Editor-in-Chief, Times Now and Times Now Navbharat.
In her most extensive and comprehensive interview yet, Machado lauded India as a “great democracy” and “an example for the world”, expressing her desire to strengthen ties between India and a free Venezuela. “India has been an example for many generations. You have a responsibility because many countries look up to you,” she said, adding, “I hope I can host Prime Minister Modi in a free Venezuela very soon.”
The Nobel laureate also made headlines with her candid remarks on U.S. President Donald Trump, calling him “our main ally” in Venezuela’s struggle for democracy. “We’re seeing results of a strategy to achieve peace through strength,” Machado said, crediting the Trump administration’s firm stance against the Maduro regime. She also defended America’s targeted strikes on narco-terror networks in Venezuelan waters, describing them as a “response to the criminal socialist structures that have devastated our nation.”
Breaking down during the interaction, Machado revealed the depth of repression her people continue to face:
“I’ve been in absolute isolation for almost 15 months. Thousands have disappeared. Children and women have been abused, tortured, even killed. But Venezuela’s spirit is unbroken — Maduro’s time is over.”
She underscored that the 2024 Venezuelan presidential elections were stolen despite the opposition’s clear landslide victory, claiming that “85% of original tally sheets prove our win.”
Invoking Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy, Machado spoke of the power of peaceful resistance:
“Being peaceful is not weakness. Mahatma Gandhi showed humanity that to have peace, you need freedom, and freedom demands strength.”
Machado’s stirring words position her as one of the most influential global voices for democracy today. Her acknowledgment of India’s democratic strength comes at a crucial time when democracy itself has become a central theme in political debates across nations.
