Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado on Saturday praised the United States for its removal of dictator Nicolás Maduro from power.
“Venezuelans, The HOUR OF LIBERTY has arrived!” she said in a translated statement. “As of today, Nicolás Maduro faces international justice for the atrocious crimes committed against Venezuelans and against citizens of many other nations. Faced with his refusal to accept a negotiated exit, the government of the United States has fulfilled its promise to uphold the law. The time has come for Popular Sovereignty and National Sovereignty to rule in our country.”
Machado, who won the Nobel Peace Prize last month and dedicated it to President Donald Trump, said Venezuela’s military should respect the results of the country’s July 2024 election, where ballot machine data showing the opposition’s candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, had won by a 2-to-1 margin, despite Maduro claiming victory.
“Those of us who elected Edmundo González Urrutia as the legitimate President of Venezuela, who must immediately assume his constitutional mandate and be recognized as Commander in Chief of the National Armed Forces by all the officers and soldiers who comprise it,” Machado said.
González is currently living in Spain in exile, following the election.
“VENEZUELA WILL BE FREE!” Machado added. “We go by the hand of God, until the end.”
Rough translation of Maria Corina’s message:
Venezuelans, The HOUR OF LIBERTY has arrived!
As of today, Nicolás Maduro faces international justice for the atrocious crimes committed against Venezuelans and against citizens of many other nations. Faced with his refusal to… https://t.co/bzOKZ4KLyN
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) January 3, 2026
President Trump said during an 11 a.m. presser that the U.S. is “going to run” Venezuela until “such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition,” The Daily Wire reported.
“It has to be judicious because that’s what we’re all about,” Trump said. “We want peace, liberty, and justice for the great people of Venezuela and that includes many from Venezuela that are now living in the United States and want to go back to their country. It’s their homeland.”
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“We can’t take a chance that somebody else takes over Venezuela that doesn’t have the good of the Venezuelan people in mind,” the president added. “We’ve had decades of that. We’re not going to let that happen. We’re there now and what people don’t understand, but they understand as I say this, we’re there now, but we’re going to stay until such time as the proper transition can take place. So we’re going to stay until such time we’re going to run it essentially until such time as a proper transition can take place.”
POTUS: “We are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition…We want peace, liberty and justice for the great people of Venezuela and that includes many from Venezuela that are now living in the United States and want to go back… pic.twitter.com/DhyR64wfw8
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) January 3, 2026
Notably, Trump seemed to question if Machado could lead the Venezuelan people, and suggested that the U.S. could be in control for a year or two, if not more.
“I think it’d be very tough for her to be the leader,” Trump said of Machado. “She doesn’t have the support or the respect within the country. She’s a very nice woman but she doesn’t have the respect.”
Trump on María Corina Machado: “I think it’d be very tough for her to be the leader. She doesn’t have the support or the respect within the country. She’s a very nice woman but she doesn’t have the respect.” pic.twitter.com/jps4NBKLfp
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 3, 2026
Related: LIVE UPDATES: Trump Says ‘We Are Going To Run’ Venezuela Until Further Notice
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