‘I've been helping her’: Trump said he spoke with María Corina Machado after the Nobel Peace Prize, and reiterated that Venezuelans ‘need a lot of help’

President Donald Trump informed this Friday, during a press conference at the White House, that he he had a phone call with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado after she received the Nobel Peace Prize, in which she assured him that she was accepting the award in his honor and that he also deserved to win it. "The person who actually got the Nobel Prize called today, called me, and say ‘I’m accepting this in honor of you because you really deserved it.’ It was a very nice thing to do," Trump told reporters.

Likewise, the Republican leader said in a joking tone that at no time did he ask Machado, in that case, to give him the award, adding that she probably would have done it. "I didn’t said ‘then give it to me’ but I think she might have. She was very nice," Trump explained, who also commented that "I've been helping her along the way. They need a lot of help in Venezuela."

"President Trump gave us hope"

Hours after winning the prestigious award, the opposition leader had an interview with the New York Post, where she reiterated that her Nobel Peace Prize is not only a victory for the Venezuelan democratic struggle, but also a tribute to Trump. "I dedicated this award to the Venezuelan people and President Trump because I believe that’s absolutely fair. We, the Venezuelan people, are absolutely grateful to President Trump for the way he has supported democracy and freedom in the Americas," Machado commented.

Speaking from underground, the right-wing leader added that Trump's "courage and clarity" have been crucial in weakening and isolating the socialist dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro. "From the very beginning, President Trump understood this wasn’t a conventional dictatorship. He treated it as what it is — a criminal network tied to drug cartels, terrorist groups, and foreign regimes that threaten both the Venezuelan people and the security of the United States. I was looking forward to thanking him directly."

Machado, who despite having been disqualified by Chavismo from holding public office won the opposition primaries and led together with Edmundo González Urrutia a presidential election that the regime blatantly stole. "For years we begged the international community to see this as a law enforcement issue. President Trump was the first to act. He called them what they are — narco-terrorist organizations — and used the full weight of the law to cut their money flow."

The Venezuelan opposition leader closed the interview by saying that "President Trump gave us hope. And now, finally, we’re turning that hope into history."