Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado assured that “the time of freedom” has come for Venezuela after the arrest of Nicolás Maduro. In a statement issued on January 3, 2026, the leader said that, as a result of this event, the Venezuelan president “faces international justice for the atrocious crimes committed against Venezuelans and against citizens of many other nations”. Machado presented this moment as a historical turning point and affirmed that a decisive stage is opening for the country.
In her message, Machado pointed out that Maduro’s refusal to accept a negotiated solution resulted in the action taken by the United States. According to the opposition, the U.S. government fulfilled its promise to “enforce the law” in the face of what she described as serious and systematic violations. Under this premise, she considered that recent events confirm that “what had to happen is happening”, in direct reference to the arrest of the Chavista leader and the beginning of a political transition process.
María Corina Machado: Call to assume the popular mandate
Machado affirmed that the opposition is ready to “assert our mandate and take power”. In this context, she called upon the citizens to remain “vigilant, active and organized” until what she called the Democratic Transition takes place. He emphasized that the time has come for “Popular Sovereignty and National Sovereignty to rule in our country”, stressing that the immediate priority will be to reestablish the institutional order.
Among the objectives set forth, the leader mentioned the release of political prisoners, the reconstruction of the country and the return of Venezuelans who have been forced to emigrate. According to her, this is a process that will require a collective effort and the participation of all sectors of society.
In her communiqué, Machado recalled the July 28 election day, in which, according to her, Venezuelans elected Edmundo González Urrutia as “legitimate President of Venezuela”. He stated that Gonzalez Urrutia must immediately assume the constitutional mandate and be recognized as Commander in Chief of the National Armed Forces. Likewise, he exhorted officers and soldiers to abide by this new direction and to align themselves with the transition process.
Messages to Venezuela and the Diaspora
Machado addressed specific words to Venezuelans remaining inside the country, asking them to be ready to “set in motion what we are going to communicate to them very soon through our official channels”. To those who are abroad, she called on them to mobilize and activate governments and the international public opinion to commit them to the national reconstruction.
The leader closed her message with a tone of confidence and closeness to her followers: “Receive all my strength, my confidence and my love. We all remain alert and in contact”. She reiterated her conviction that “Venezuela will be free” and concluded with the phrase: “We are going hand in hand with God, until the end”.
For his part, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, informed that same Saturday that Nicolás Maduro was captured and taken out of Venezuela. Through a message published on his Social Truth network, he wrote that the United States “successfully carried out a large-scale attack” and that Maduro was flown out of the country together with his wife. These statements reinforced the international impact of the events and marked the beginning of a new stage in the Venezuelan crisis.
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