Caracas/Paris, January 4 (ANI): Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado declared that the “hour of freedom” had arrived for Venezuela following the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in a joint operation involving intelligence agencies and US law enforcement.
In a statement posted on X, Machado said Maduro would now face international justice for what she described as heinous crimes against Venezuelans and citizens of other nations. “Venezuelans, the hour of freedom has arrived. It’s time for freedom. Starting today, Nicolás Maduro faces international justice,” she said, adding that the United States had fulfilled its commitment to enforce the law after Maduro rejected a negotiated solution.
Machado said the moment marked a historic turning point after years of struggle for democracy. “We have fought for years, we have given our all, and it has been worth it. What had to happen is happening. This is the moment for the people,” she said. She reiterated that opposition-backed leader Edmundo González Urrutia was elected as the legitimate President of Venezuela and called for his immediate assumption of constitutional authority, urging members of the armed forces to recognise him as Commander-in-Chief.
Calling for unity and vigilance, Machado urged Venezuelans at home to be ready to follow forthcoming instructions through official channels and appealed to the diaspora to mobilise international support. “We need Venezuelans abroad to activate governments and citizens around the world and commit them to the great task of building a new Venezuela. Venezuela will be free,” she said.
The developments come amid heightened political uncertainty after Maduro and Flores were captured in Caracas and flown out of the country. According to an unsealed indictment shared by US Attorney General Pamela Bondi, the couple face multiple statutory allegations related to drug trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracies.
International reactions followed swiftly. From Paris, Machado appealed to democratic nations to prioritise the immediate release of political prisoners in Venezuela, calling it the country’s most urgent task. She expressed gratitude to French President Emmanuel Macron for his public support at what she described as a decisive hour.
“Thank you very much, President Macron. The freedom of all political prisoners is our immediate priority. I ask heads of State and Government and all democrats of the world to support us,” Machado wrote on X.
Macron confirmed that he had spoken directly with Machado and fully backed her call. “I fully support her call for the liberation and the protection of the political prisoners of Nicolás Maduro’s regime,” the French President said, adding that Venezuela could count on France’s support for a peaceful and democratic transition that respects the sovereign will of its people.
Following Maduro’s removal, video footage released by US authorities showed the deposed leader in handcuffs during a perp walk. Subsequently, Venezuela’s Supreme Court ordered Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to assume the powers and duties of acting president, citing Maduro’s “material and temporary impossibility” to exercise his functions. Justice Tania D’Amelio said the move was intended to ensure administrative continuity and the comprehensive defence of the nation, in line with constitutional provisions.
Providing background to the unfolding crisis, former US National Security Advisor John Bolton told CNN that plans to remove Maduro had been discussed during former President Donald Trump’s first term but did not advance at the time. He said the opposition had hoped sustained economic pressure would fracture the regime, but the United States ultimately proceeded with what Trump described as a “large-scale strike against Venezuela,” capturing Maduro to face charges.
As Venezuela enters a volatile and uncertain phase, Machado has positioned the release of political prisoners, restoration of popular sovereignty, and a democratic transition as the central goals of what she called a defining moment in the nation’s history.
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