María Corina Machado, the leader of Venezuela's opposition party, said interim president Delcy Rodríguez is "perhaps even more ruthless" than her predecessor Nicholas Maduro.
"Everybody in Venezuela and abroad knows perfectly who she is and the role she has played," in the country's oppressive regime, Machado said in an interview with Tony Dokoupil airing Tuesday night on "CBS Evening News."
Rodríguez, Maduro's vice president, was sworn in as the interim president on Monday after Maduro was captured and taken to the United States. The Venezuelan military has expressed their support for Rodríguez, 56.
Machado, who has been in hiding since Venezuela's disputed 2024 election, emerging only to claim the Nobel Peace Prize in December, criticized those who believe Rodríguez should lead the country. She described Rodríguez as one of the architects of Maduro's brutal regime, and the leader of torture sites in Venezuela. Former hostage negotiator Roger Carstens told "60 Minutes" that the Maduro regime had held and tortured Americans who had been arrested in Venezuela for minor offenses.
Then-Vice President Delcy Rodriguez arrives for a meeting with diplomatic representatives in Caracas, Venezuela, Sept. 29, 2025.
Juan Barreto/AFP/Getty
Rodríguez was sanctioned during Mr. Trump's first term for her role in helping the Maduro regime "maintain power and solidify his authoritarian rule." She has not been indicted on any criminal charges in the U.S. for her role in Maduro's government.
Machado said that she believes the U.S. has "instructed (Rodríguez) to take certain actions regarding further dismantling of the criminal structure as a path towards a complete transition to democracy in Venezuela." But Machado said "nobody trusts her," which may complicate her new role as the country's president.
Machado alleged that Rodríguez had been "the main link" in communications with Russia and Iran as well as "other countries that have ... criminal activities" in Venezuela.
Despite the tumultuous circumstances, Machado said she still has faith in the Venezuelan people.
Watch more of María Corina Machado's interview with Tony Dokoupil on tonight's "CBS Evening News" at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Machado: Maduro's No. 2 may be more ruthless
Machado says Maduro's No. 2 is "perhaps even more ruthless" than the Venezuelan dictator
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