Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado thanked President Donald Trump for the arrest of Nicolás Maduro and said a democratic Venezuela would seek a close strategic partnership with the United States.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado on Monday publicly thanked President Donald Trump for the U.S. military operation that resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro, saying the action marked a decisive step toward political transition in Venezuela and a future alliance with the United States.
Machado issued the statement in a post on X following global demonstrations by Venezuelans celebrating the apprehension of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were captured early Saturday and transported to the United States to face federal criminal charges.
“The brave people of Venezuela took to the streets in 30 countries and 130 cities around the world to celebrate a huge step that marks the inevitability and imminence of the transition in Venezuela,” Machado wrote. “We Venezuelans thank President Donald Trump and his administration for their firmness and determination in upholding the law.”
She said a post-Maduro Venezuela would pursue a close partnership with Washington, stating that her country would become the United States’ “main ally” on issues including security, energy, democracy, and human rights.
Maduro and Flores pleaded not guilty Monday during their initial court appearances in New York. Federal prosecutors have charged Maduro with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and weapons-related offenses, including possession of machine guns and destructive devices. Flores faces charges tied to cocaine importation conspiracy and weapons offenses, according to the federal indictment.
Machado also framed the moment as one of national reconciliation and return, writing that Venezuela’s freedom was near and that families separated by years of political repression and migration would soon reunite.
Machado spent much of the past two years in hiding inside Venezuela to avoid arrest by Maduro’s government. In December, she left the country clandestinely, reportedly with U.S. assistance, to attend events in Oslo connected to her 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. At the time, she said she would return when and where she was “most useful” to Venezuela’s democratic movement.
Following Maduro’s capture, Machado has called for a political transition and for opposition figure Edmundo González to assume the presidency.
Maduro has governed Venezuela since 2013, taking office after the death of Hugo Chávez. He has been accused by domestic opponents and multiple foreign governments of stealing elections, including the 2019 vote that kept him in power and the July 2024 election he again claimed to have won. The United States and several other countries have refused to recognize him as Venezuela’s legitimate leader following those contests.
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez currently asserts control over the government. President Trump warned Sunday that Rodríguez could face consequences “bigger” than Maduro’s if she fails to comply with U.S. demands.
Trump said Saturday that the United States had not been in contact with Machado and questioned her political viability, citing what he described as limited support within Venezuela, though he also referred to her as “a very nice woman.”
The White House and the State Department have been contacted for comment.
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