Washingtons anti-drug campaign off Venezuelas coast is the only way to oust illegitimate Nicolas Maduro, Maria Corina Machado has said

The US military buildup off Venezuela's coast could help bring about regime change, opposition figure Maria Corina Machado has said. The Nobel Peace Prizelaureatethis year signaled she would welcome US strikes on the country if they help remove President Nicolas Maduro.

Washington has accused Maduro of having ties to drug cartels, calling him a "narcoterrorist." Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump deployed a naval armada to the western Caribbean, and since September, US forces have struck alleged drug-smuggling vessels off Venezuela's coast.

Media reports say Washington isexpandingits naval presence, with analysts suggesting that the mission could extend beyond counter-narcotics. Trump denied planning direct strikes inside Venezuela, but reportedly reviewed a list of potential targets.

Asked on Bloomberg's 'The Mishal Husain Show' if she backs US military action, Machado said, "I believe the escalation that's taking place is the only way to force Maduro to understand that it's time to go."

She claimed that Maduro "illegally" seized power in last year's election, from which she was barred. Machado also claimed that opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia won the election. Ousting Maduro, she said, would not be "regime change in the conventional way," since he is "not the legitimate president" but "the head of a narcoterrorist structure."

"This is not regime change, this is enforcing the will of the Venezuelan people," she stressed.

Maduro has accused Machado of channeling US funds to "fascist" anti-government groups, calling her a front for Washington's interference in Venezuelan affairs. Machado has had close contacts with the US government for decades. In 2005, then-President George W. Bush received her at the Oval Office.

Asked if US military force is the only way to remove Maduro, Machado said the threat alone could be sufficient: "It was absolutely indispensable to have a credible threat." She added that the Venezuelan opposition is "ready to take over government," backed by the military and police, claiming that "more than 80% of them are joining and will be part of this orderly transition as soon as it starts."

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Maduro has denied US drug-trafficking accusations, accusing Trump of "fabricating a new war." Caracas called the US operations a violation of sovereignty and a coup attempt, reportedly seeking help from Russia, China, and Iran to strengthen its defenses.

Russia, which ratified a strategic partnership treaty with Venezuela on Monday, has condemned the US campaign.

(RT.com)