Venezuela opposition leader Maria Corina Machado spoke briefly on Capitol Hill as she met with South Florida lawmakers and others to shore up U.S. support for her bid to lead the country after President Donald Trump ousted the former president, Nicolás Maduro.
"My main objective is to return to Venezuela as soon as possible," Machado said.
She visited with members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and others, her second trip to Congress since meeting last week with Trump at the White House. There she presented the president with her Nobel Peace Prize.
U.S. Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, R-Miami, and U.S. Rep. Carlos A. Giménez, R-Miami, were among the lawmakers Machao met on Tuesday.
The two South Florida Republicans praised Trump for removing Maduro from power and "reaffirmed unwavering support and solidarity" for Machado and President-elect Edmundo González Urrutia, whom they said are "the duly-elected representatives of the people."
READ MORE: Venezuela's Machado says she presented her Nobel Peace Prize to Trump during their meeting
U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar, R-Miami, made two posts on X with Machado, saying in Spanish "Venezuela will be free."
Me llena de emoción reunirme con María Corina Machado (@MariaCorinaYA) en la capital de la nación para hablar del futuro de Venezuela.
— María Elvira Salazar 🇺🇸 (@MaElviraSalazar) January 21, 2026
Desde Washington reafirmamos nuestro compromiso con el pueblo venezolano y su lucha por la libertad. Los venezolanos son afortunados de tener a… pic.twitter.com/5p7LKPVdX3
Trump has raised doubts about his stated commitment to backing democratic rule in Venezuela, giving no timetable on when elections might be held.
Trump has effectively sidelined Machado, who has long been the face of resistance in Venezuela. He has instead signaled his willingness to work with acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who had been Maduro's second in command.
Trump has said it would be difficult for Machado to lead because she "doesn't have the support within or the respect within the country." Her party is widely believed to have won 2024 elections rejected by Maduro.
In a statement following his meeting with Machado, Díaz-Balart said she has the backing of most Venezuelans.
"This is a critical transition period for Venezuela, and I have no doubt that once free elections are held, Maria Corina Machado will again have the overwhelming support of the people," he said.
When asked about Venezuelans in the U.S. whose temporary legal status, TPS, has been terminated, Machado told reporters that she is working to ensure they are protected until they, too, can return home.
"I want to insist on this: We want the Venezuelan people that were forced to leave to come back home," she said. "And that's going to happen once we have democracy in Venezuela."
The Trump administration ended TPS and other temporary immigration programs that together allowed more than 700,000 Venezuelans to live and work legally in the U.S, putting them at risk of deportation. Venezuelans were first granted TPS under President Joe Biden.
Tens of thousands of Venezuelan TPS holders live in South Florida, home to the nation's largest Venezuelan community.
TPS gives migrants from countries torn by disaster or political violence temporary but renewable protection from deportation. It is granted in 18-month increments by the DHS Secretary in coordination with the State Department.
The Associated Press contributed to this story
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