Maduro deposed after many years. “González Urrutia should take over the presidency”

The time of freedom has come for Venezuela, the presidency should be taken by the winner of the last elections, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, wrote the leader of the Venezuelan opposition, Maria Corina Machado, on Saturday after the capture of the country's ruler, Nicolas Maduro, by US forces.

In a message posted on the X platform, Machado, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025, said that Maduro was removed because he did not want to voluntarily give up power in negotiations with the US.

We will restore order, free political prisoners, build an exceptional state and bring our children back home, Machado wrote.

She recalled the July 2024 presidential elections, widely considered to be rigged by the Maduro regime. The opposition presented protocols proving the victory of the candidate it supports, Gonzalez.

She also assessed that Gonzalez “should immediately take over the constitutional mandate and be recognized as the commander-in-chief of the national armed forces by all officials and soldiers who constitute them.”

“Today we are ready to (…) take power. Let us remain vigilant, active and organized until the Democratic Transition materializes. A transformation that needs ALL of us,” wrote Machado.

On Saturday morning, US special forces carried out an attack on the capital of Venezuela – Caracas. After months of pressure from Washington, Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife were captured and deported from the country. The couple was then charged in the US with crimes related to drugs and terrorism. (PAP)

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