Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said on Friday she was confident the remnants of what she called Venezuela's “criminal regime” would eventually be dismantled and there would be an orderly transition to free elections, but cautioned that the road ahead would be difficult and complex. - REUTERS
00:00I am profoundly, profoundly confident that we will have an orderly transition.
00:07Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Carina Machado said on Friday that she believed the remnants of what she called the country's criminal regime would be dismantled and that free elections would eventually occur.
00:20And we are definitely now into the first steps of a true transition to democracy.
00:28Though she cautioned that the road ahead would be difficult and complex and take time to unfold.
00:34This has nothing to do with a tension or decision between Delcy Rodriguez and myself.
00:43This is about the cartel and justice.
00:48This is about a criminal structure that is the regime.
00:53Machado made the comments in Washington, D.C., a day after meeting President Donald Trump at the White House, where she presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to him.
01:02She gave me her Nobel Prize, but I'll tell you what, I got to know her.
01:07I never met her before, and I was very, very impressed.
01:10She's a really, this is a fine woman.
01:13Despite Trump saying he was impressed with Machado, the opposition leader's visit has done little to clarify any role she may have in the changes underway in Venezuela.
01:23Instead, there were signs the Trump administration may be deepening its relationship with what remains of Maduro's government.
01:31Despite that, Machado gave a mostly upbeat assessment and insisted in her meeting with Trump that she will return to Venezuela as soon as possible.
01:39The result of a stable transition will be a proud Venezuela who is going to be the best ally the United States has ever had in the Americas.
01:51Machado was competing for Trump's ear with members of Venezuela's government and seeking to ensure she has a role in governing the nation going forward.
01:59But Trump has, on several occasions, praised Delcy Rodriguez, who became Venezuela's interim leader upon Maduro's capture.
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