Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado addressed the public in Caracas after fleeing the nation by boat last December with help from U.S. special forces veterans. She commended Donald Trump and Marco Rubio for the January 3 capture of Nicolas Maduro, citing it as the catalyst for a planned democratic transition. While acting leader Delcy Rodriguez confirmed that monitored elections will occur without committing to a timeline, Machado pushed for a 2027 vote. Machado also voiced strong opposition to a controversial bilateral pact that transfers one-fifth of Venezuela's petroleum reserves to the United States.
Key points
Maria Corina Machado is mobilizing Venezuelan society while demanding presidential electi…: Maria Corina Machado is mobilizing Venezuelan society while demanding presidential elections be organized for 2027.
Interim leader Delcy Rodriguez promised internationally witnessed elections but avoided s…: Interim leader Delcy Rodriguez promised internationally witnessed elections but avoided setting a firm calendar date.
The opposition expressed dissatisfaction regarding a lack of transparency in the recent U…: The opposition expressed dissatisfaction regarding a lack of transparency in the recent United States oil deal.
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Nobel Peace Prize winner returns to Venezuela from exile, pressing for elections and criticising a controversial US oil deal with Caracas.
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has thanked US President Donald Trump’s administration for opening the “floodgate to freedom” by abducting President Nicolas Maduro in January.
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate on Thursday also called for elections to be held in Venezuela next year, in her first public remarks since returning from more than 10 months in exile.
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“Thanks to their vision, their courage, and their action on January 3, the floodgate to freedom has been opened,” Machado told a news conference in Caracas, naming Trump, his administration and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
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