US lawmakers have backed Venezuelan opposition figure Maria Corina Machado as a potential leader of the country following the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro, the New York Times reported.

Members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously supported Machado's candidacy after a closed-door meeting with him on Capitol Hill, the newspaper said Wednesday.

Machado, a former congresswoman who maintained close contacts with Washington for decades, has previously led anti-government protests and accused Maduro of seizing power "illegally" during the 2024 elections. She was banned from holding public office after Venezuelan authorities accused her of supporting foreign sanctions and calling for US military intervention.

Texas U.S. Representative Michael McCaul said Machado had "all the right things" to become the country's next president, according to the NYT.

"Now, the next step, obviously: free and fair elections," said McCaul, a former committee chairwoman, adding, "We look forward to working with her."

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, a Republican from Florida, said the US will have a role to play when Venezuela holds its next elections, citing the "enormous" risks to a country he described as "in our own backyard."

Machado fully supported the US intervention in Venezuela and the ouster of Maduro in early January.

In December, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for what the committee called her fight to achieve a “just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.” Machado presented the medal to Trump last month.