Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado declared that the “hour of freedom” had arrived for Venezuela following the capture of President Nicolas Maduro by US forces. In a powerful post on X, Machado wrote, “Venezuelans, the HOUR OF FREEDOM has arrived!”
Machado, who has largely remained in hiding since the disputed July 2024 presidential election, called for opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia to immediately assume his constitutional mandate as president. The Venezuelan opposition has long maintained that González Urrutia won the election and accused the Maduro administration of rigging the vote.
During the 2024 election, the National Electoral Council declared Maduro the winner but failed to release full polling data, citing a cyberattack. Opposition leaders condemned the declaration, alleging widespread electoral fraud. González Urrutia had entered the race as a last-minute replacement after Machado was barred from contesting.
Machado briefly resurfaced last month when she travelled to Norway, where she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her efforts to defend democracy and human rights in Venezuela.
Meanwhile, global political reactions continue to pour in following Maduro’s capture. Former US President Donald Trump, speaking to Fox News, stopped short of endorsing Machado immediately but condemned Venezuela’s disputed elections. “We have to look at it right now… the election of Maduro was a disgrace,” he said.
The Venezuelan opposition, the United States, and several Western nations have previously rejected Maduro’s election victories in 2018 and 2024, branding them fraudulent.
González Urrutia also addressed the nation through social media, writing, “These are decisive hours. Know that we are ready for the great operation of the reconstruction of our nation.”
As Venezuela enters a critical political moment, both the opposition and the international community are now closely watching how the transition situation unfolds.