Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado declared that “the hour of freedom has arrived” on Saturday, following the capture of President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. special forces.
“Venezuelans, the hour of freedom has arrived,” Machado said in a statement posted on social media. She said that after Maduro refused a negotiated exit, the United States had acted to enforce international law.
“Nicolás Maduro, as of today, faces international justice for the atrocious crimes committed against Venezuelans and against citizens of many other nations,” Machado said in a post on X.
Calls for order, political prisoner releases, and rebuilding
Machado called for the restoration of order in Venezuela, the release of political prisoners, and the rebuilding of the country after what she described as decades of dictatorship.
“We have fought for years, we have given everything, and it has been worth it,” she said. “This is the hour of the citizens — those of us who risked everything for democracy.”
She said Venezuelans who participated in the July 28, 2024 presidential election had fulfilled their democratic mandate and should now see it carried out.
Machado urges Edmundo González Urrutia to assume office
Machado demanded that Edmundo González Urrutia, whom many democratic governments recognize as Venezuela’s legitimate president, immediately assume his constitutional mandate.
She said González Urrutia should be recognized as commander-in-chief of the armed forces and called on military officers and soldiers to acknowledge his authority.
“Those of us who chose Edmundo González Urrutia as the legitimate president of Venezuela demand that he assume his mandate immediately,” she said.
Appeal to Venezuelans at home and abroad
Machado urged Venezuelans inside the country to remain alert and prepared to follow instructions that would be communicated through official opposition channels.
She also called on Venezuelans living abroad to mobilize governments and international institutions in support of a democratic transition.
“To Venezuelans abroad, we need you mobilized, activating governments and citizens of the world and committing them, starting now, to the great operation of building the new Venezuela,” she said.
Background on Machado
Machado served as a member of Venezuela’s National Assembly from 2011 to 2014 but was barred from running in the 2024 presidential election by the Maduro government.
She later went into hiding as pressure on the opposition intensified. Machado was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for what the committee described as her tireless work promoting democratic rights and a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy in Venezuela.
“In these decisive hours, receive all my strength, my confidence, and my affection,” Machado said. “Venezuela will be free.”
