"Freedom has arrived": Venezuelan oppn leader Maria Machado after Maduro's capture

Caracas [Venezuela], January 4 (ANI): 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 in a statement, "Venezuelans, the hour of freedom has arrived. It's TIME FOR FREEDOM! Venezuelans, 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.

Venezolanos, llegó la hora de la libertad. pic.twitter.com/ehy20V1xm9

— María Corina Machado (@MariaCorinaYA) January 3, 2026

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. Those of us who risked everything for democracy on July 28. Those of us who elected Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia as the legitimate President of Venezuela, who must immediately assume his constitutional mandate and be recognised as Commander-in-Chief of the National Armed Forces by all the officers and soldiers who comprise it," she said in a statement.
Machado urged citizens in Venezuela to prepare for upcoming instructions and called on Venezuelans abroad to mobilise international support, saying unity and vigilance were crucial in these "decisive hours".
"To Venezuelans within our country, be ready to implement what we will soon communicate to you through our official channels. We need Venezuelans abroad to mobilise, activating governments and citizens around the world and committing them now to the great task of building a new Venezuela. In these decisive hours, please accept all my strength, my confidence, and my affection. Let us all remain alert and in contact. VENEZUELA WILL BE FREE!" she further said.
The statement comes after Venezuela's 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 Attorney General Pamela Bondi on X, Maduro and Flores face multiple counts of statutory allegations related to "drug trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracies".
The capture of Maduro comes amid rising tensions between the United States and Venezuela. (ANI)