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One World with Zain Asher

Soon: Venezuela's Machado to Speak after Meeting with Trump; State Media: Iranian Security Officials Say 3,000 People have been Arrested; Incident Report: Good had up to Four Gunshot Wounds; Venezuela's Maria Corina Machado Holds News Conference; Machado: We will have a Smooth Transition to Democracy; Machado: There's No Tension Between Delcy Rodriguez and I. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired January 16, 2026 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[11:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: Hello, everyone. Live from New York. I'm Bianna Golodryga. Zain is off today. You are watching "One World".

We're standing by for Venezuelan Opposition Leader Maria Corina Machado to deliver remarks to the media this following her high stakes meeting with

Donald Trump yesterday. We will bring that to you once it begins.

You'll recall Machado came to the White House bearing a gift the U.S. President has long coveted, that is her Nobel Peace Prize. She says the

meeting was historic and extraordinary, but she left the White House without a clear endorsement from Trump. This as the Nobel Committee says,

the prize itself is not transferable. Machado says gifting her Nobel was an emotional moment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIA CORINA MACHADO, VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER: He deserves it, and it was a very emotional moment. I decided to present the Nobel Peace Prize

Medal on behalf of the people of Venezuela.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Apparently, in return, the U.S. President gave Machado a gift bag with his signature on the outside. It is not clear what is inside that

gift bag. Now this meeting came on the same day the Venezuela's Acting President Delcy Rodriguez met CIA Director Jon Ratcliffe in Caracas.

Senior White House Reporter Kevin Liptak joins us now. So, we've heard from the Nobel Committee saying that this prize is not transferable, and yet we

see the President of the United States eagerly accept it. Where does that leave things between the president and the opposition leader Kevin?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, it seems to have generated a degree of goodwill, but it does not seem to have changed the

president's perspective that she, at least at this particular moment, isn't the person to be running Venezuela on a day-to-day basis.

And it didn't even seem as if his mind was able to be changed heading into that meeting. We heard from the White House that he seemed pretty certain

that for now, Delcy Rodriguez, the Acting President, was the best positioned to kind of be the day-to-day leader.

And you have already seen how the administration is relying on Rodriguez to advance some of their initiatives, whether it's on the energy or whether

it's on maintaining stability in that country, they don't show any indication that they're willing to sort of transition away from this member

of Maduro's inner circle, from someone who is part of his socialist regime.

And so, where that leaves Machado for now, I think, essentially, is the same place that she was heading into that meeting. And just the fact that

she seemed so convinced that bringing this Nobel Prize was a good idea and was going to sort of ingratiate herself to President Trump, I think, is so

significant, particularly when you think about what it took for her to get that prize.

Not just, you know, her decades in the Venezuelan resistance, but just leaving Venezuela, you know, being smuggled out in a wig and being a drift

in the Caribbean Sea for hours. She even said yesterday that she had fractured her spine as she was trying to get off of Venezuela's coastline

to get to Oslo to obtain this prize only to now hand it over to President Trump, I think gives you a sense of how significant she thought that that

gesture would be.

Now President Trump said afterwards that he thought it was a wonderful gesture of mutual respect, clearly something that he expected heading into

it. You know, I don't think President Trump thinks that just having the medal means he won the prize. He knows that this is sort of a gesture on

Machado's part to ingratiate herself to him.

But certainly, a significant moment for him that he's able to have this sort of plaque and have the medal in the White House. But I think going

forward, it's going to take a lot more on the part of the opposition and on the part of Machado to convince the president and perhaps more importantly,

to convince people like Marco Rubio that they are able to run that country going forward.

And the one sort of thing that you hear from people who have been talking to Machado while she's been here in Washington is that she doesn't

necessarily think that this is the only step either. She recognizes that there will have to be more work to be done.

I think the issue is that every time that the administration sort of partners with Delcy Rodriguez on various initiatives, it only cements her

position further and further in their minds, but also in Caracas that she is the person that they're relying on to run that country.

[11:05:00]

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, especially notable given that the CIA Director the same time the president was meeting with the Opposition Leader in Machado, the

CIA Director was in Venezuela, the highest-level official from this administration to visit that country since the U.S. had snatched Maduro and

his wife to have a meeting with Delcy Rodriguez. We'll continue to report on that angle as well. Kevin Liptak, thank you so much.

Well, just moments ago, President Trump says that he's considering issuing new tariffs against countries who don't go along with his ambitions to

control Greenland. His comments come as 11 U.S. lawmakers, we should note they are bipartisan lawmakers looking to build bridges at a tumultuous time

for America's allies.

The Danish Prime Minister and her Greenlander Counterpart are meeting with the U.S. delegation. President Trump's continuous threats to seize the

Arctic Island are sparking serious concern. Germany, Sweden, France, Norway and the Netherlands and Finland are all deploying troops to Greenland for

joint exercises with Denmark. Earlier, we heard from Democratic Senator Chris Coons, who is leading the U.S. Delegation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-CT): For 225 years of being a good and trusted ally and partner, we had a strong and robust dialog about how we extend that into

the future. We expressed our gratitude for the sacrifice of Danes, who served and fought and died alongside Americans when we were attacked 25

years ago.

We spoke about the value of NATO and the commitment to respecting the core principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and self-determination.

And we spoke with clarity about the importance that the people of Greenland make their decisions about their future.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Let's check in with Nic Robertson, live from New Greenland. And Nic it wasn't just Democratic members of Congress and Senators who we heard

from, like Chris Coons, Lisa Murkowski, Republican Senator from Alaska, also spoke out, saying that she did not believe that it was a good idea for

the U.S. to take control over Greenland.

And yet, the president is doubling down now, threatening to issue additional tariffs against countries who don't support this. Just tell us

what you're hearing from locals there.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, I think to that point on the tariffs, this seems to track with discussions in the European

Union, certainly by some European members of parliament about impacting the trade relationships, trade relationship between the European Union and the

United States, that's possibly within the frame of what President Trump is referring to.

But it's very clear he continues to double down on his determination to acquire Greenland. And the discussions that were being held in Copenhagen

today, really emphasize that breakdown in trust between Congress and White House that was sort of became very apparent after the snatching of Maduro

in Venezuela, where Congress really felt that the White House hadn't leveled with them about their plan.

So, you have here this delegation, bipartisan delegation of Senators, Representatives coming all the way across the Atlantic to get firsthand

from the Danes, from Greenlandic Representatives, the state of the discussions with the White House and the state of relations between the two

countries at the moment.

And I think this was really reflected in what Lisa Murkowski was saying, and Senator Coons. Senator Coons saying that there's a lot of rhetoric, but

not a lot of reality. There is no threat, he said, of Russia and China here at the moment. Senator Murkowski talking about this in terms of the will of

the United States people not even being behind the White House. This is how she framed it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LISA MURKOWSKI (R-AK): When you ask the American people whether or not they think it is a good idea for the United States to acquire Greenland,

the vast majority, some 75 percent will say we do not think that that is a good idea. This Senator from Alaska does not think it is a good idea.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: Yeah, and she went on to talk about that it's not right to treat Greenland as an asset. It's important to think about it as an ally. Is this

going to change the position in the White House every step so far, it seems that President Trump doubles down.

Does it bring some comfort to the people here in Greenland? Absolutely, because they're getting to hear from other politicians in the United States

that said -- that have a different voice to President Trump. Of course, the concerns absolutely remain here.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, and Europeans will also get a chance to hear from President Trump next week, when he's going to be speaking at the World

Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that I would imagine that this topic will definitely come up as well.

[11:10:00]

Nic Robertson, thank you so much. Well, the Pentagon says a carrier strike group is on its way to the Middle East as President Trump weighs his

options following Tehran's brutal crackdown on protesters. After weeks of threatening a U.S. attack on Wednesday, Trump said that he had been told by

very important sources on the other side that the violence had stopped, but that remains unclear.

For now, more than a week, an internet blackout has cut Iranians off from the rest of the world, making it difficult to obtain any information.

Tehran, meanwhile, says that it's ready for war, but willing to negotiate. Fareed Zakaria is Host of CNN's "Fareed Zakaria, GPS". He joins me now for

more on this.

Fareed, it's always good to see you. So, in addition to reported warnings from Gulf States and even Israel that the U.S. should, at least for now,

hold off on any strikes on Iran. We do know that more assets are headed to the region as we speak, including a carrier strike group.

From your perspective, especially given that there had been reporting that Trump was told that a large strike wouldn't even guarantee regime change in

the country and could actually spark a larger war. What is the strategic objective for the U.S. to take any sort of action at this point?

FAREED ZAKARIA, CNN HOST, "FAREED ZAKARIA GPS": There is no strategic objective. What strategic objectives one might have had related to Iran's

nuclear program, which is now in tatters. As far as I can tell, this is more about Donald Trump wanting to prove that he has the capacity to

threaten, to intimidate, to, you know, to kind of get his way.

If you think about the Venezuela operation, it was very similar in that -- in the sense that the United States got Maduro, very spectacular,

extraordinary military operation, but the entire regime is intact. Everybody other than Maduro is still there. The Socialist Dictatorship of

Venezuela has, in fact, deepened its repression.

So similarly, here I think what Trump is looking for is some kind of win that could be, that he could announce that he has achieved. And it seems

like what he has done is decided to go down the path of saying, I threaten them, the Iranian regime, and they now have assured me that they will not

engage in public executions and the killing will stop.

As you pointed out, it's not clear that that's true at all. I think the Iranian regime might have realized that what it can do is to do the

executions and the repression quietly in a way that doesn't attract attention, and then Trump will leave them alone. That, as best as I can

tell, that is what the calculation on both sides is. Trump feels like he can, he can take his win the Iranians stay in power and continue to repress

their people.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, and that does nothing to help those protesters who the president had spoken to earlier this week, saying that help was on its way

and encouraged them to continue to protest. Fareed, there are also options that are non-kinetic, that the U.S. could perhaps facilitate here, and that

is in the cyber world.

We saw additional sanctions from the Treasury Department yesterday. And what I've heard, at least in the short term, is the restoration of internet

access would be huge if the U.S., along with other allies, could provide that type of technology.

ZAKARIA: Absolutely. You know, the ability for the opposition I think, I think about the Arab Spring and how it was galvanized by easy internet

access, social media and things like that. If you could restore that in Iran, it would go a long way towards helping these groups, these protest

movements, talk to one another.

You know, it's a very tough challenge of, how do you encourage an internal revolt against a brutal dictatorship like the Iranian regime? Because

outside help can be useful. But as you point out, it might be that you want to look for more subtle, lower key, more under the radar strategies,

because overt help from a foreign power does sometimes, you know you're the opposition doesn't want to see itself as a as a tool of American power.

You know, Iranians, even though they hate the regime, they're very nationalistic people, and that could work -- that could backfire. So, you

have to be careful about how you help an opposition movement?

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, and you mentioned the opposition movement. One name that has been spoken, I think, louder and more prominently than in previous

unrest and protests that we've seen is of Reza Pahlavi, who is the son of the deposed Shah and the Crown Prince of the country who is living here in

the United States.

[11:15:00]

And he was just speaking moments ago, Fareed stating that, with or without the world's help, this regime will fall, and laid out what he views as a

clear plan for a transition, calling in the first 100 days for territorial integrity, a separation of religion and state, individual liberty and

equality for all, and the Iranian people's right to decide a democratic form of government, even expanding on the Abraham Accords, what he calls

the Cyrus Accords, all of this sounds very appealing. How realistic is it, though Fareed?

ZAKARIA: Well, he's doing exactly the right thing, because what Iran has lacked is the opposition coming together, having kind of an organized

approach, having an agenda, and, in a way, having a leader. Now, the Shah's son is he's a good man. I've known him for 20 odd years, 25 years, I think.

And he wants, at most, to be a constitutional monarch, and he wants to be somebody who helps Iran transition to democracy. The question I can't

answer is, how much street cred does he have? You know, what you often find in these -- in these regimes, in these dictatorships, is that the people

who inherit power, if and when the regime falls, are people who have been on the streets fighting.

You know, think about in Syria. There was a Syrian government in exile, opposition in exile. It amounted to nothing. The people who end up in

power, the people who have suffered through the dictatorship, paid the price, been in jail, fought the regime, and you know, the Crown Prince has

not done any of those things, not for any fault of his own.

So, I think it's the right agenda. It's a very compelling one. I -- you know, let's see whether it unifies the Iranian opposition, but it is coming

from outside the country.

GOLODRYGA: I want to ask you finally about your most recent opinion piece for "The Washington Post" Provocative as all of yours are, this one is

titled, "The world is adjusting to an unreliable United States". And you look at the split screens here of the U.S. now perhaps about to strike

Iran, or at least the president, putting down a red line.

We saw the actions taken just a few weeks ago, deposing and snatching the Head of Venezuela and now on the streets here, internally turmoil in our

own country, and then the president now seeking to acquire Greenland. A lot going on in just the first month of 2026.

And you write that allies are no longer building on the American led system, but instead, around it. Is there still a window or an appetite, in

your view, for the U.S. to reclaim that role, or has that trust deficit been lost at this point?

ZAKARIA: No, there's definitely a window. The world and America's allies have enormous affection for the United States. Our interests are aligned.

Our values are aligned. In many of these cases, Europe, Japan, South Korea, these are 80 years old alliances that have only gotten stronger over the

decades.

People want an America that is going to be a constructive force. They want to build on the American platform. But the problem is Donald Trump is being

so aggressive, so unilateral, so unpredictable, that they are forced into the position they are.

Look at the other image you could look at this week is Mark Carney going to China. The Canadians made a bet over the last 30 years that they wanted to

build ever closer integration with America, economically, diplomatically, politically, 75 percent of Canada's exports come to the United States.

And they have now decided that they cannot rely on the U.S., and their goal for the next 15 years is to de risk themselves from America and American

unilateralism. So, they're searching for markets in Asia. They're searching for markets in Europe. They're building closer ties to those countries.

How does that help the United States to have arguably your closest ally in the world, which is an advanced industrial country, energy rich country,

fellow democracy, actively searching for ways to cozy up to China, to cozy up to the European Union, to cozy up to India.

This is a net loss of American influence, and it makes a big difference, because we need those allies for all the kinds of things that, you know, we

often talk about in critical minerals, energy, supply chains, markets, all those things that China has been able to build, we need to build an

alternate ecosystem.

We can't do it all in the United States. We were blessed with an alliance in which we could do it, but we are treating our allies as enemies, and in

some cases, like Russia, our enemies as friends, which makes a lot of people confused.

[11:20:00]

And everyone sits there and says, well, let me buy insurance against an unpredictable America in an unpredictable world.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah. And the beneficiary, it seems, at least for now, is China announcing a record trade surplus over the last quarter given all of this

uncertainty. I just can't get over this headline. You can't see it, but the Chiron beneath you, Fareed European nations send troops to Greenland amid

Trump threats.

Who would have ever predicted something like this? I know you're going to be covering it all, as you always do on your show this weekend. Thank you

so much for the time.

ZAKARIA: Always a pleasure.

GOLODRYGA: And you can watch "Fareed Zakaria GPS" on Sunday right here on 10:00 a.m. on CNN at 10:00 a.m. here in New York, or 03:00 p.m. in London.

All right, as we also discuss another night of clashes in Minneapolis. This time our CNN crew gets caught in the middle of it, we'll have the latest on

the ground.

Plus, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize Medal is now at the White House after Venezuela's Opposition Leader gifted it to the U.S. President. A live

report on what's ahead for the country that's after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GOLODRYGA: New clashes overnight in Minneapolis as protesters, they are still angry over the surge in immigration agents to their city. And two

shootings involving I.C.E. in one week. CNN crews were at the scene of one of those clashes as federal agents fired tear gas outside a federal

building to break up protests.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're starting to throw those. Hold on, let me just come back here. As you can see, basically now they're just deploying tear

gas, because what's been happening.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Now, the voice that you heard there was our Shimon Prokupecz. Seems like these have sparked threats from the president to invoke the

Insurrection Act. The centuries old law could put U.S. troops on the streets of Minneapolis.

Several people have already been arrested during the protests, which intensified after the fatal shooting of Renee Good on January 7th, and we

are getting new information about her death. An incident report from the Minneapolis Fire Department says that Good was found with two apparent

gunshot wounds in the chest, one in her left arm, and a possible gun-shot wound to the head.

[11:25:00]

Julia Vargas Jones is in Minneapolis with the very latest for us. As we have been reporting, the tension continues to escalate there. It appears,

as you have been reporting at times from both sides, from the agent side, as well as at times from the protesters, and especially in the evening

hours, Julia, what are officials telling you?

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Officials have been saying Bianna very clearly, very clearly --

GOLODRYGA: OK, stay safe there.

JONES: -- to maintain the calm, that has been OK. This is, I mean, this is what happens Bianna, we see these kinds of flare ups. Someone is being

seems to be being detained right now, right there on the ground that there is a woman being detained.

She, I believe, was behind me on camera, as you saw. I did not see this coming at all. As OK, OK, all right. They just pushed our photo journalist

here, Orley Rodriguez, sorry. Look, this is -- this is something that we've seen a couple times. I had not witnessed yet, a detention, an arrest, like

this, Bianna.

But after last night, this is day three now of this kind of skirmish I'll say between the -- it's not even a skirmish. I did not see what that

protestor did, or whether she did anything. But there have, there has been a very clear level of anger of these protesters. At times, there have been

instances of projectiles, of spitting on agents.

Those are things that we saw, as well as hitting their cars. Every single car that comes into this federal building. This is the Whipple Federal

Billing just outside Minneapolis gets heckled. Now the threshold for a detention, the threshold for an intervention from I.C.E., seems to be quite

low at this point, Bianna, as we just witnessed there.

Again, going back to your question, what authorities are saying? The Mayor of Minneapolis, Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey, calling for a peaceful

protest, saying that actually antagonizing these agents is playing into the administration's hand. It's making things worse.

The Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, calling to the president directly, asking for a de-escalation of tensions on the ground. Now, the idea of

invoking the Insurrection Act, bringing more agents, federal forces to Minnesota does not seem to me, or for the people on the ground that we've

spoken to like it could make things better.

The general answer that I've gotten when asking that to regular citizen, not just people here the protests, is that they can't even fathom what that

would do to this state, Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: And Julia, as we heard their shouting through a bull horn, it appeared that that came from the protesters correct directed at not only

the cars driving by, but at law enforcement that we just saw come and make an arrest?

JONES: Yes. Yes, there's some bull horns here. I think I'm not sure. Can I ask you, like, what was it that you were, that you were saying on the bull

horn?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What I was telling them that is, this is a peaceful protest. We are exercising our First Amendment rights. We are unarmed. They

are armed. They're aggressive, and that they should not impede and impinge on our protesting.

JONES: So, you were just saying, this is a peaceful protest. What else did you say? I heard you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, that we have no weapons, and they have weapons and they're acting aggressively and impinging and impeding our right to

protest. We have a First Amendment right to protest here and now.

JONES: But I did see -- I didn't see what was happening with the lady who was -- who was a -- I said, there. But did have you seen any kind of

behavior that is provoking the agents, or that is -- I know you're an attorney. We were speaking earlier. Is there -- have you seen anything?

Are there some people who are not really heeding those calls from both the Mayor and the Governor to stay peaceful and not antagonize, not play into

the hand of the federal government?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm just going to give you the facts. I saw someone in the street and going close to cars and photographing in the windows and

photographing their license plates. They were doing that from the street and not from the sidewalk. That's what -- what that's

what happened.

JONES: And I'll explain that just Bianna that, that is something that has warranted some response from federal agencies. That's what we saw

yesterday. That's when our team was hit with pepper balls, projectiles with pepper spray in them is when we saw protesters take this street over and

then get too close to those gates, that's when we're seeing that kind of response from the federal agents.

[11:30:00]

GOLODRYGA: Is that what that woman was detained for do we know?

JONES: I can't tell you that.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah.

JONES: I was looking at the camera. I did not see what was happening behind me. That is what seems to be what happened Bianna. But we would have to

look back at that footage to make sure that that is what was happening at the time.

GOLODRYGA: All right. A very lively live shot indeed. Julia Vargas Jones, thank you, as always, for your reporting. And also please, as I noted

before, stay safe yourself. And still to come for us, Venezuela's Opposition Leader, is about to speak about her meeting with President Trump

at the White House yesterday. More after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GOLODRYGA: OK, we're going to take you now to Washington, where Venezuelan Opposition Leader Maria Corina Machado is holding a news conference there

at a conservative think tank a day after meeting with President Trump. Let's listen in.

MACHADO: -- to transition to democracy that will have not only immense impact in the lives of all Venezuela's those who stayed in our country,

those who have been forced to flee around the world. But that will have immense impact in the region, in our hemisphere, and I will say, even

further in the whole world.

Because what we have proven is that a people determined to be free, even without resources, without money, without the free press supporting even

facing the cruelest tyranny can prevail, because the force of conviction and the force of love is the strongest of all.

I am very proud to be part of these generations of Venezuelans. Most of them have never known what it means to live in freedom or what it means to

be part of democratic society. They have risked their lives, their loved ones, everything they have, because they share that dream to live in a free

country.

It's all about human dignity, it's all about justice, it's all about love. And it's love for our children, love for our country, and love for freedom

that has brought us here. Now we face a very complex and delicate process.

[11:35:00]

And as Venezuelans, we are absolutely grateful to President Trump, his team, his administration, and the people of the United States, because it

took a lot of courage to do what he did. And he did it, yes, on behalf of the American people, but also because he cares for the people of Venezuela.

And he told me that yesterday. And I think that was the most important message I can bring back to my country. Tell the Venezuela people that the

American people and the President of the United States truly cares for the life, the well-being and the future.

I'm certainly talking about our political prisoners and all those have been persecuted, those who are all today in exile. But I'm also talking about

those children that are growing without their mothers because they had to flee to send food back, that are growing without education, because public

schooling in Venezuela works two days a week, because teachers earn $1 a day.

And they need to get other jobs in order to eat. That are growing without health and food. And we have the generation that is suffering the highest

levels of malnutrition in a century. That's how our children right now. And it is because of them. It's because of saving lives that we're doing what

we're doing right now, and that's why we're going to win.

And the only thing I want to assure the Venezuelan people is that Venezuela is going to be free, and that's going to be achieved with the support of

the people of the United States and the President Donald Trump of the United States. So, I'm very grateful to be here. We are facing challenging

times ahead.

We are prepared to do what it takes as a legitimate government. Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia and I have been in communication permanently all these

days, and we feel, not only with a mandate from the Venezuelan people, and that's why I'm here, and that's why --.

But also, a huge task in front of us to prepare with other teams around the world and in Venezuela, to take our government when the right time arrives.

So, thank you very much, and I'm more than willing to hear your questions now. So, I believe there is a procedure that has been designed so because

we thought there might be some interest today.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you very much. It's an honor to have you Ms. Machado.

MACHADO: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to -- I'm going to start off with a question, and then we're going to open it up to the press. My question to

you, Ms. Machado, is, you know, the Venezuela people more than anyone, and that's apparent from the very -- you know, the Venezuelan people more than

anyone, and that's apparent from the very strong support that they've shown for you time and time again.

I wonder if you could tell us a little bit about -- I mean, as you know, your country has been destroyed by socialism, Cuba, Russia and Iran,

looting your nation, your wealth. Do you see, and the primary victim of this has been the Venezuelan people.

Do you see a future in which at all possible, where a free and fair election and return to democracy in Venezuela restores anything but a

strong, staunch U.S. ally and a country that leaves behind the shackles of socialism?

MACHADO: Well, thank you very much. Can you hear me? I'm hearing like an echo here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We hear you.

MACHADO: It's fine, OK. Well, I am very glad. No, there's a problem with an echo, right? No, please. So comfortable sitting down. You want me to stand

up? You prefer that I stand up? No, that's better now, OK.

Look, I'm very glad we start with this issue, because I understand that there are many concerns regarding the transition in Venezuela and compared

to previous events in all parts of the world. And I always insist in the difference between what is today compared to Middle East countries that

went through change in governments or regimes.

[11:40:00]

We're talking about a society that is perhaps the most cohesive in the region. I would dare to say, even in the world. I ask you to think any

other society in which 90 percent of the population wants the same. Not only that, they reject the actual regime, but we want the same.

There are not religious tensions within the Venezuelan society or racial or regional or political or social. I mean, there was one longing that brought

Venezuelans together, and that was we want our children back home. And it was that demand that I heard all around Venezuela.

In 2023 we were moving forward to the primary process that made me realize how powerful it was to unite a country, to tear down the barriers that the

regime has built to divide us, you know, between rich and poor, black and white, left and right, military and civilians, and we brought a country

back together.

That's why I always said, you know what? Maduro is going to go we're going to get rid of him one day or the other. What's important is the country

that's coming afterwards, and it's a country based on shared values. We want to live with dignity. We want to live with the result of our work, our

effort, a society based in merit, and not if you know the Chavista who is in certain place at certain time, women do not want handouts.

They don't want to live in a -- give their children a box of food that has a high cost, because then you have to lower your head and repeat what the

regime wants you to say, or dress as they expect you to dress. They want to leave with their job. Well done. That's dignity, and that's what Venezuela

deserves and wants today, and that's what we represent.

So of course, the result of this hard process will be a society based on these values, a society that is profoundly pro America. And I want to

insist on this. Delcy Rodriguez, yes, she's a communist. She's the main ally and representation of the Russian regime, the Chinese and Iranians.

But that's not the Venezuelan people, and that's not the armed forces as well.

So, I am profoundly, profoundly confident that we will have an orderly transition. This is a complex phase we are right now. Some of the dirty

work is being done by them, but then the 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.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to have a person come up and thank you very much.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, thank you very much for coming. I realize there's a lot of interest. We're going to try to get to every question. I'm going

to go through a list. There's outlets that have more than one reporter accredited. So, I would like to please ask you to raise your hand so we can

get one of our kind staff to bring the microphone to you as I call you out. Julio Vaquero from Telemundo Police.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's wonderful to see Washington -- talking and working with Delcy Rodriguez, as they've said, You, gave the Nobel Peace Prize to

president yesterday. What recognition have you got from president as the justified Head of Venezuela?

MACHADO: I'm not here looking for anything. I'm here representing the people of Venezuela who elected -- all telephones need to be turned down. I

came to represent the people of Venezuela. They gave us a mandate. 20 seconds.

[11:45:00]

First of -- October 2023, sound problems. One second. Can you hear me? OK, now. We're going to change microphones. Is that better? OK. OK, I'll repeat

this question, or the response to this question from Julio. I came to meet the President of the U.S. to represent the people of Venezuela.

They gave us a mandate on the 22nd of October in 2023. I got more than 92 percent of the votes in the primaries. The 28th of July, 2024 Gonzales,

under extreme and fraudulent conditions, got a majority. And we can prove it.

I came to receive from him a message for the Venezuelans about this security we can rely on the U.S. to continue on this road, respecting

national sovereignty, freedom, democracy and justice. There is a very complicated process underway. We know this, but steps are being made.

Clearly every day for Venezuelans, many Venezuelans, it's a life and death situation. It's very urgent in ethical terms, however, we understand that

it's complicated process. We are part of this. We want to contribute, and we are contributing. Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, Maria Cornia, thank you so much. It's great to see you in person after seeing you virtually for the last few years. Two

questions, if I could, similar to what you just answered, but in English.

You had a very good meeting with the president yesterday, but he still maintains a positive relationship and positive language about Dely

Rodriguez. The CIA Director, was just there. So, what's your message to the president and to the United States when U.S. policy is still to support the

Chavismo government that still exists in Caracas?

And I have to ask your statement last night said that you felt like you were going to die at one point when you left Venezuela in the boat. Can you

just tell us exactly what happened in that moment when you were in that boat? Thank you.

MACHADO: Well, regarding all the details of how and when I left Venezuela? I -- for the protection of those involved and help me get here I will wait

until the regime is no longer in capacity to harm them, to share that in detail.

I -- yes, there was a certain moment in the trip, in the boat where and I was hurt because the waves were very high, over six feet, and there was a

strong wind, and we got lost in the ocean. We lost the sign of the GPS and satellite phone stopped working, and Starlink antenna did not work as well

all at the same time.

So, it was very risky, dangerous and scary moment, I have to say. And it lasted several hours. But at the end, as I say, you know, we have work.

Moved ahead De La Mano De Dios, and that's why I believe it is a miracle. And I'm here, and I know that someday I will be able to tell you all the

details, and thank personally all those that risked their lives in order for this to happen.

Because they knew it was very important, very important for our cause, that I was able to leave my country at that moment. Regarding your first

question. Look, this has nothing to do with a tension or decision between Delcy Rodriguez and myself.

This is about the cartel and justice. This is about a criminal structure that is the regime and the mandate of the Venezuelan people. That's what at

stake at this moment.

[11:50:00]

I'm just one member of a huge movement of millions of Venezuelans that have decided and are committed to be free. And I have no doubt that President

Trump, his administration, and the people of the United States support democracy, justice, freedom and the mandate of the people of Venezuela.

I have absolutely no doubt, not only because it's in the well-being of Venezuela people, but as I say, because it's crucial for the American

people. The United States today is a safer nation after January 3rd. And once the regime is out and the transition is accomplished, the United

States will not only be a safer nation, but one that will have more prosperity and strength in our hemisphere.

GOLODRYGA: All right, we've been listening to Maria Corina Machado, the conservative -- the conservative opposition leader there in Venezuela,

speaking at a conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC, a day after her meeting with President Trump, where she

said to the audience that she is grateful for Trump for doing what he is doing.

And said that the president told her that he cares a lot about the people of Venezuela. I do want to go to Stefano Pozzebon, who joins us now from

Bogota, Colombia. We're also joined by Freddie Guevara. We'll get to Freddy in a moment. She's a Venezuelan Opposition Political, Politician in exile.

But first Stefano, I do want to get your thoughts on what we heard from Maria Corina Machado and very choice language, not wanting to show any

division between her and the President of the United States?

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yeah, frankly saying that the American people support the U.S. people support freedom and democracy for Venezuela,

but at the same time coming short, frankly, with a timeline for that to happen in her own country.

I can't take out of my mind the words yesterday, just as Machado was meeting with President Trump, the words of Karoline Levitt, the

Spokesperson for the White House, who said that while these administration supports freedom for Venezuela, they're not ready to discuss a timeline for

that to happen.

At the same time, we are hearing and not even hearing, we are seeing signs that the cooperation and collaboration between the current leadership in

Caracas, which is the Interim President, Delcy Rodriguez, and this White House is warming up.

Today for example, Venezuela welcome, if you can say, welcome, a new deportation flight directly from the United States, directly from Phoenix.

It is the first deportation flight that reached the Caracas since December 10th. It's a sign that this U.S. administration is working closely with

Rodriguez.

All the issues that are hard to Donald Trump, which are deportation and business deals. And Maria Corina Machado, frankly, right now is not able to

come up to provide neither of those issue answers on neither of those issues to the president.

GOLODRYGA: Right. And of course, her meeting with President Trump, coinciding with the CIA Directors, meeting with the interim leader there

now Delcy Rodriguez. I want to get to Freddy Guevara on the optics of that.

We heard from Maria Corina Machado describing Delcy as a communist, and says that that is not representative of the people of Venezuela. And

notably, she said, or the armed forces of the country. But as you know from reporting and as we've heard, that CIA operatives there and analysts had

been advising this administration that Delcy Rodriguez is somebody that this administration could work with.

They describe her as pragmatic and the best course to take at this point to avoid further chaos in the country. Your thoughts on what we heard from

Maria Corina Machado and the trip by the CIA Director to Venezuela?

FREDDY GUEVARA, VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION POLITICAN IN EXILE: Thank you. First, I just want to acknowledge something that I know it will be very difficult

for American audiences. But I will ask you that please don't analyze the Venezuela situation under the lenses of United States situations.

I know that also is hard when you see the Heritage Foundation, it has exploded for the Americans to have an ideological charge. But in Venezuela,

this is not about left or right. Marie Corina is not the conservative leader. Actually, Maria Corina is not conservative. She's right wing, but

not conservative more liberal in the European way.

And Venezuela is about democracy and autocracy, and her coalition includes parties like mine that are not from the right, and you have parties from

the extreme left, and you have party from the for far left, far right too.

So, I just want to make that comment, because I understand that it's important the context for Americans.

[11:55:00]

In that sense, Delcy Rodriguez, and that's the -- I mean, she's part of the Maduro regime, and she has been part of the Maduro regime. And actually,

Delcy Rodriguez was the one under her figure was the political prison of El Helicoide, in which I was imprisoned, and many other security and

intelligence apparatus.

However, history is also full of surprise. Transitions that happens because they have people within the regime that contributes. We don't trust them,

and we cannot be naive. And I think we have to transmit this very openly, because there's a chance, I would say, a big chance, that the people within

the regime now are just trying to outsmart the Americans.

However, the visit from the CIA Director, I think it's also a good sign in the way that it kind of signals to the people within the regime that they

cannot think that everything will remain the same. So, of course, the presence is in the CIA in Latin America has a lot of also, you know, bad

background for many people.

But in the Venezuelan situation in which we are also fighting Iranian security forces, Cuban security forces, have lost publicly recognized by

the Cuban government, cartels and support of terrorist organizations, we will require international support.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, so I'm sorry to cut you off. We are just tight on time now.

GUEVARA: No other way --

GOLODRYGA: -- as we hit a wall the end of the hour of this program. Thank you so much. A lot happening in this past hour.

GUEVARA: Thank you very much.

GOLODRYGA: I appreciate you sticking around for us. Thank you, Freddy Guevara.

GUEVARA: Thank you.

GOLODRYGA: And do stay with CNN. I'll have more "One World" after the break.

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