Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado on Monday (January 5) said she will be returning to Venezuela as soon as possible, after President Nicolas Maduro’s capture.

She was awarded the prize for her fight against what the Norwegian Nobel Committee called a dictatorship.

Machado - widely seen now deposed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's most credible opponent- left Venezuela last month to travel to Norway to accept the award, and hasn't returned since.

"I'm planning to go as soon as possible back home," she told Fox News host Sean Hannity in an interview, when asked about her plans to return to Venezuela.

The interview was Machado's first since the U.S. launched strikes on Venezuela on Saturday and captured its president.

She welcomed the U.S. actions as "a huge step for humanity, for freedom and human dignity."

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

1. STING FOR FOX NEWS’ HANNITY SHOW

2. TV NEWS PRESENTER SEAN HANNITY SPEAKING

3. HANNITY INTERVIEWING VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER MARIA CORINA MACHADO

4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER MARIA CORINA MACHADO, SAYING:

“Well, because he absolutely controlled the reelection system and also the electoral council. So it was a miracle that everybody told her that she was impossible to carry independent elections in a primary process. And we were able to bring the country together to carry these elections organized by civil society with millions of people participating. And the fact is that he cowardly, he feared us. He feared me, Maduro. So he thought that by banning me, he would stop us from winning. But the exactly opposite happened.”

5. HANNITY INTERVIEWING MACHADO

6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER MARIA CORINA MACHADO, SAYING:

“Well, first of all, I'm planning to go back to Venezuela as soon as possible. As I have always said, Sean, every day I make a decision where I am more useful for our cause. That's why I stayed in hiding for over 16 months. And that's why I decided to go out, because I believed that at this moment, I mean, more useful to our cause, being able to speak out from where I am right now. But I'm planning to go as soon as possible back home.”

7. HANNITY INTERVIEWING MACHADO

8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER MARIA CORINA MACHADO, SAYING:

"I mean, January 3rd will go down in history as the day justice defeated a tyranny. It's a milestone. And it's not only huge for the Venezuelan people and our future, I think it's a huge step for humanity, for freedom and human dignity."

9. VARIOUS OF HANNITY THANKING MACHADO