When Maria Corina Machado, Venezuela’s leading opposition figure, declared in Oslo that she “absolutely supports President Trump’s strategy” on Venezuela, she delivered a powerful endorsement that validates what constitutional conservatives have long understood: principled American strength remains the world’s most effective force for advancing both liberty and national security.
Machado’s emphatic support for Trump’s approach—calling him “a champion of freedom in this hemisphere”—comes as the former president’s targeted sanctions and enforcement actions continue dismantling the criminal networks that have transformed Venezuela into what she accurately describes as a “safe haven of international crime.” This isn’t diplomatic rhetoric; it’s strategic reality assessment from someone fighting on freedom’s front lines.
The opposition leader’s analysis confirms what America First advocates have consistently argued: Venezuela under Maduro operates as a beachhead for hostile foreign powers including Russia, Iran, and Cuba, while providing sanctuary for terrorist organizations like Hezbollah and Hamas alongside international drug cartels. This criminal constellation represents exactly the kind of hemispheric threat that demands robust American intervention—not the multilateral hand-wringing that characterized previous administrations’ failed approaches.
Trump’s economic warfare strategy is achieving measurable results precisely because it abandons globalist preferences for endless dialogue in favor of targeted pressure that cuts off the regime’s revenue streams. By seizing vessels engaged in oil smuggling and implementing sanctions that disrupt drug trafficking operations, the administration demonstrated how America’s economic leverage becomes a force multiplier when applied with strategic clarity and constitutional authority.
This approach exemplifies the constitutional framework the Founders envisioned for American foreign policy: protecting our hemisphere from hostile foreign influence while supporting legitimate democratic movements. The Monroe Doctrine wasn’t isolationist withdrawal—it was principled engagement that recognized America’s unique responsibility to prevent Old World tyrannies from establishing footholds in the New World.
Machado’s assessment that “the regime has its days numbered” suggests Trump’s pressure campaign created momentum that transcends electoral cycles. Unlike the Obama administration’s failed “strategic patience” or the Bush era’s democracy-promotion overreach, Trump’s Venezuela strategy achieved the optimal balance: maximum pressure on criminal regimes with minimal American exposure, while naturally aligning with authentic democratic forces.
The broader implications extend far beyond Venezuela’s borders. Machado’s endorsement reveals how America First foreign policy creates virtuous cycles that multiply our effectiveness while reducing costs. When America acts decisively against criminal regimes, legitimate democratic movements worldwide recognize that principled American leadership offers their best hope for success—creating natural alliances that advance both liberty and U.S. national security interests simultaneously.
This stands in stark contrast to globalist approaches that treat American power as inherently suspect while elevating international institutions that consistently fail to address real threats. The United Nations and Organization of American States spent decades issuing statements about Venezuela while the regime consolidated power and expanded criminal operations. Trump’s unilateral action achieved more progress in four years than multilateral diplomacy accomplished in two decades.
For constitutional conservatives, Machado’s endorsement validates core America First principles: that American strength, properly applied, remains freedom’s greatest champion; that economic leverage often proves more effective than military intervention; and that supporting authentic democratic movements serves both moral imperatives and strategic interests.
The path forward requires sustained commitment to the pressure campaign that Machado credits with bringing the regime to its current weakened state. Patriots should monitor whether this approach accelerates regime collapse and creates opportunities for broader hemispheric realignment away from hostile powers.
Success in Venezuela could establish a template for dismantling other criminal regimes while demonstrating that America First foreign policy delivers results that benefit both American interests and global freedom. When opposition leaders fighting tyranny explicitly endorse American leadership, it confirms what constitutional conservatives have always known: principled American strength remains the world’s best hope for advancing liberty and security simultaneously.
