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World
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado announced her intention to negotiate a democratic transition of power with interim president Delcy Rodríguez following Maduro's ousting.
On Thursday, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado declared her determination to engage in negotiations concerning a democratic transfer of power with interim president Delcy Rodríguez, following the removal of Nicolás Maduro in January.
The opposition in Venezuela, led by Machado, maintains that their candidate, Edmundo González Ortuña, won the controversial 2024 elections, which Maduro, who was detained, had claimed victory in at the time.
In a statement, Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, called on the United States to support "serious, firm, and responsible political negotiations with the transitional regime to restore democracy in Venezuela."
She added that "the primary objective of these negotiations is to enable free, transparent, and sovereign presidential elections," as reported by Agence France-Presse.
Machado expressed confidence in U.S. President Donald Trump's plans for Venezuela after his administration authorized an attack on Caracas in January to arrest Maduro.
During a visit to Panama on Saturday to meet members of the Venezuelan community, the opposition leader announced her intention to run in the upcoming elections, although no date has been set for the vote, stating: "I will run."
Trump had hinted at new elections following the U.S. forces' capture of Maduro on January 3, but no election date has been established. Maduro's former deputy, Delcy Rodríguez, assumed the role of acting president.
The Venezuelan government considers Machado a fugitive in exile and accuses her of calling for military intervention against the country.
