Transcript: Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Jan. 11, 2026

The following is the transcript of the interview with Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, Republican of Florida, aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Jan. 11, 2026.

MARGARET BRENNAN: We now turn to Florida Republican congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar, who joins us this morning from Miami. Congress, welcome to face the nation.

REP. MARÍA ELVIRA SALAZAR: Thank you for the opportunity.

MARGARET BRENNAN: She is one of Maria Corina Machado’s top aides in Congress. He said he would come to Washington this week. President Trump said maybe Tuesday, maybe Wednesday. Details are still being worked out. Why is it important for him to appear before the President of the United States, who supports Maduro’s number 2 as president of that country?

REP. SALAZAR: Well, I don’t think the President supports anyone related to the Maduro regime. But focusing on Maria Corina Machado, he found it. He is the one who put this together – he proved to the international community that they, the opposition forces, won the election. He somehow managed to do the math and prove the Trump administration won 70 to 30. Remember that Maduro did not give him the chance to be elected as President because he did not like him, because he knew that he would lose against him. So he’s got it, and I’m sure he’s going to have a very good, long, tough conversation with the President. He knows the story better than anyone. I was in contact with him during the 16 months he was hiding in the tunnel because Maduro’s forces were looking for him to kill him. So, you have earned it. So, I think we’ll welcome him to Congress, and I’m sure President Trump will be very pleased with that meeting.

MARGARET BRENNAN: You heard the Secretary of Energy here say that it could be – it could be years before we get to the transition. The President said that democracy is something he hopes for in Venezuela. Does that mean that he has to go back, that the United States has to guarantee the safety of Maria Corina Machado that she will come back? I mean, how can the opposition come back to the polls right now?

REP. SALAZAR: You know, he was planning to leave when we met in Oslo, when he received the Nobel Peace Prize, he was telling everyone that he was ready to go back, and on January 3rd, we kicked Maduro out. See- I love what Secretary Rubio is presenting and the plan we have as a country for stability, recovery, and transition. I think if you think about it, the Trump administration is creating a blueprint, a new world break, a new model of foreign policy, where vis-a-vis the western hemisphere. So Maria Corina and the opposition fall into that three-tiered structure that we have, Rubio created and Trump blessed. So he’s part of the revolution, and I’m sure they’ll be able to reorganize themselves. You have hundreds of thousands of people in Caracas and Venezuela who will help us organize this election process.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So, I know you support the policy of the Trump administration, but Secretary of State Rubio was really, really surprised when I asked him why they didn’t arrest the current Interior Minister, Diosdado Cabello. You have been very clear in your statements that you think the United States should arrest him. We went back and looked, Jim DeFede of CBS Miami reported in 2017 that Caballo tried to kill Senator Rubio. Can you help people understand why maybe the people of Florida should be concerned or other Americans about this man who is now in control of the security forces?

REP. SALAZAR: You know, I know that Diosdado is worse than Maduro and worse than Delcy. They are all Alibaba and 40 thieves. We’re not doing anything – let’s confirm, to your international audience, that – but – but I’m very much assured by the fact that we’ve taken oil and resources from them. That Diosdado Cabello, the thief, I repeat, does not want to fall where Maduro fell, and they will work together. And in a way, because we’ve created this new kind of model, that they’re going to work with us, they don’t have their resources now they know that we’re going to go into this acquisition, and that- and that they’re going to somehow definitely participate and work with the American forces. They know better. And like I said, it’s amazing what’s happening, because we’ve never seen this in 250 years of history. And Diosdado, I repeat, is the person charged. And another source- I have some sources that say, that we could not find him, but he did- at this hour, I can say that, that everything is falling into place.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes, he controls the prisons, and there are at least five Americans in those prisons–

REP. SALAZAR: — And Delcy. And Delcy. Delcy is really in charge of the secret police and the machinery of repression. And Diosdado Cabello was in charge of the army, who was part of the Sun and Maduro caravan.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But do you know why the Trump administration doesn’t publicly want the release of the Americans being held?

REP. SALAZAR: Listen, maybe- maybe we don’t know some of the things that are going on, and Rubio said it the other day. I understand, and I’m sure, Rubio knows this place well, and knows who the characters are. And we are taking this seriously – seriously – with serious measures. We don’t want to make any mistakes again – and I’m sure that the political prisoners will come out and that we – we don’t give ourselves, meaning Diosdado and Delcy, any kind of – freedom to really run the country. We will see. As it happened – it happened two, three weeks ago. Let’s give them more time before we see more results.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Immediately, the President tweeted today, Cuba has no money, no oil. The CIA’s assessment is that the Havana regime is not in danger, even though the President says they are. What do you hear?

REP. SALAZAR: Look, I represent the city of Miami, you know, the heart of the Cuban exile community. And those words are like, magic. It’s been 65 years. You know, Cuba is a power base of our enemies, Iran, Russia, China. And–and now I think they–they got the memo. And Cuba, hanging on your threat, by a thread I must say. The threat that Cuba represents to the United States has been great. They have no water, no electricity, no food. They have nothing. So if you think Maduro was weak. Cuba is even weaker, and now does not have a single drop of oil from Venezuela. So that could be the beginning of the end.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes, Mexico is stepping up and giving them something. We’ll have to watch–

REP. SALAZAR: — And that’s a huge mistake. The biggest mistake from Madame Sheibaum–

MARGARET BRENNAN: — what happens next. That’s right. Thank you very much Congress. We’ll be back in a little while.