Hour of Freedom Has Arrived, Says Machado After Maduro’s Capture
The time has come for popular sovereignty and national sovereignty to rule in our country, she said
Caracas [Venezuela]: After the US captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado said that the “hour of freedom” had arrived for her nation.
In a post on X, Machado said, “Venezuelans, the hour of freedom has arrived. It’s time for freedom. Starting today, Nicolas Maduro faces international justice for the heinous crimes committed against Venezuelans and citizens of many other nations. Given his refusal to accept a negotiated solution, the United States government has fulfilled its promise to enforce the law.”
“The time has come for popular sovereignty and national sovereignty to rule in our country. We are going to bring order, free political prisoners, build an exceptional country, and bring our children back home,” she added.
Machado said that years of struggle for democracy in Venezuela have finally reached a turning point. “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 said that Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, whom the opposition considers the legitimate president, must immediately assume his constitutional mandate and be recognised as commander-in-chief of the national armed forces.
Machado urged citizens inside Venezuela to prepare for upcoming instructions and called on Venezuelans abroad to mobilise international support, stressing that unity and vigilance were crucial in these decisive hours.
“To Venezuelans within our country, be ready to implement what we will soon communicate through our official channels. We need Venezuelans abroad to mobilise governments and citizens around the world to help build a new Venezuela,” she said. “Venezuela will be free.”
Her statement comes after President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured in Caracas and flown out of the country in a joint operation involving intelligence agencies and US law enforcement, leading to heightened tensions and uncertainty.
According to an unsealed indictment shared by US Attorney General Pamela Bondi on X, Maduro and Flores face multiple charges related to alleged drug trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracies.
The capture of Maduro comes amid rising tensions between the United States and Venezuela.
