Venezuela will become energy hub of the Americas: Machado

Venezuela opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said Monday that "a free Venezuela," with its largest oil reserves in the world, will become the "energy hub" of North and South America.

"We will turn Venezuela into the energy hub of the Americas," Machado told broadcaster Sean Hannity on Fox News.

Describing January 3 as a "historic day," Machado said, "We will bring back millions of citizens who were forced to flee the country. So that they can contribute to building a strong and developing nation, an open society. We will leave all the destruction and criminal activities of the previous administration behind and move forward. We will establish Venezuela as the greatest ally of the United States in Latin America."

Regarding the arrest of Nicolas Maduro, he said, "That day (January 3) was the 'defeat of dictatorship at the hands of justice.'

Machado told Hannity, “January 3rd will go down in history as the day that the dictatorship was defeated by justice. It’s a milestone. It’s not just important for the Venezuelan people and their future, I think it’s a huge step towards ensuring that humanity, freedom and dignity are maintained around the world.”

He also told Fox News, “After Venezuela is liberated, it will primarily serve as an ally to ensure the security of the United States. The activities of the criminal gangs in Latin America will be disrupted and a security zone will be established throughout the region. These criminal gangs have done a lot of damage to our people and infrastructure. In fact, the American people have suffered as well. Venezuela will be the most powerful ally in dismantling these gangs.”