President Donald Trump stated the chief of the Venezuelan opposition would not have the “respect” of the nation to control following the ousting of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
The U.S. led a sequence of strikes within the South American nation early Saturday, ultimately capturing Maduro and his spouse, Cilia Flores, and taking them to the U.S. to face narco-terrorism fees.
Opposition chief and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado celebrated the operation and seize in an announcement, calling it the “hour of freedom.”
“As of immediately, Nicolás Maduro faces worldwide justice for the atrocious crimes dedicated in opposition to the Venezuelan individuals and in opposition to residents of many different nations. In mild of his refusal to simply accept a negotiated resolution, the Authorities of the USA has fulfilled its promise to uphold the rule of regulation,” Machado stated.
Trump, who stated he has not been involved with Machado, stated throughout a press convention on Saturday that he would not imagine she will assume the management position in Venezuela.
“I believe it might be very powerful for her to be the chief. She would not have the help inside or the respect inside the nation. She’s a really good lady, however she would not have the respect,” Trump stated.
Maria Corina Machado, laureate of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, speaks throughout a information convention in Oslo, Norway, on Dec. 11, 2025.
Lars Martin Hunstad/Bloomberg through Getty Pictures, FILE
Trump additionally introduced the U.S. will “run the nation” because it transitions into new management.
“We’ll run the nation till such time as we are able to do a protected, correct and considered transition,” Trump stated. “And it needs to be considered, as a result of that is what we’re all about. We would like peace, liberty and justice for the nice individuals of Venezuela.”
Venezuelans react to Maduro’s ousting
Political analyst Liz Alarcón, with experience in Latin America and U.S. Latinos, rejected the notion that Machado would not have the respect of the nation throughout an look on ABC Information Reside.
When requested if there’s a likelihood for Machado to run the nation, Alarcón replied, “That’s precisely what exists already.”
“What we need to see is, after all, the help of your complete worldwide neighborhood, together with the USA, to oust an illegitimate chief like Nicolás Maduro from the nation … however we additionally need our will as Venezuelans inside and outdoors of the nation to be revered,” she stated.
Alarcón stated that may consists of Venezuela being run by leaders equivalent to Machado or Edmundo González Urrutia, who ran in opposition to Maduro within the election final July.
In her assertion, Machado referred to as on the army to acknowledge González Urrutia because the rightful president of Venezuela.
On this June 10, 2025 file picture, Venezuelan President-elect Edmundo Gonzalez speaks in the course of the occasion ‘Venezuela, Reminiscence and Justice’, on the European Parliament headquarters in Madrid, Spain.
Europa Press Information/Europa Press through Getty Pictures
Unbiased exit polls confirmed González Urrutia acquired two-thirds of the votes, and the U.S. stated “overwhelming proof” supported his victory, however Maduro claimed he received the election and didn’t cede energy.
ABC Information’ Chief International Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz advised “Good Morning America Weekend” that it is unclear how the army will reply to the ousting of Maduro and that the U.S. is keeping track of the state of affairs.
“At the moment, we’re able to implement our mandate and to take energy. Allow us to stay vigilant, lively, and arranged till the Democratic Transition is achieved — a transition that requires every one in all us.” Machado stated.
Alarcón advised ABC Information Reside that many Venezuelans are celebrating the downfall of Maduro however need to be certain that his regime is not changed by the same one.
This consists of not putting in any of Maduro’s allies who’re nonetheless in Venezuela or one other determine who would not respect the “democratic will of the Venezuelan individuals,” she defined.
Folks have fun on the Bolivar sq. in Caracas on January 3, 2026, after US forces captured Venezuelan chief Nicolas Maduro.
Luis Acosta/AFP through Getty Pictures
“What I wish to see is for these nonetheless in energy in Venezuela to obtain ensures, to exit peacefully, and to offer approach to the freedom that so many Venezuelans right here in Doral, the place I reside… have been screaming and chanting and wanting and which means liberty from everybody and to see the nation ruled by those that we elected,” she stated.
Venezuelan-American journalist José Enrique Arrioja, speaking to ABC News’ Gio Benitez, referred to as the operation a “stunning sequence of occasions” and a “historic second” for each Venezuela and Latin America.
Arrioja, who has been overlaying monetary markets and politics in Latin America for greater than twenty years and is the managing editor of the journal Americas Quarterly, stated the operation confirmed a daring new technique the Trump administration can be taking within the area.
“It has been a really [mixed] response. The state of affairs in Caracas as we communicate proper now, Gio, is calm. Folks shopping for groceries, shopping for primary staples forward of may be differ unsure week, if not months, forward,” Arrioja stated.
“We’ve got a regime that was broadly unpopular since final yr after they usurped energy after the July 28 elections,” he continued. “It has been simply coping with an elevated repression, extra authoritarian regime.”
Maduro’s supporters condemn US operation
Whereas many detractors celebrated Maduro’s seize, his supporters condemned the U.S. for finishing up the operation.
Venezuela Vice President Delcy Rodriguez addressed the nation on state tv demanding the discharge of Maduro and saying he’s the one president of the nation.
“We had already warned that an aggression was underway below false excuses, below false pretexts, and that the masks had fallen and it had just one goal: regime change in Venezuela — and the seize of our vitality, mineral, and pure assets,” she stated in an handle in Spanish. “That’s the true goal, and the world and the worldwide neighborhood should comprehend it.”
“We’ve got convened this Nationwide Protection Council. … From right here, we demand the fast launch of President Nicolas Maduro and his spouse, Cilia Flores. The one president of Venezuela: President Nicolas Maduro.”
Rodriguez referred to as on civilians and armed forces throughout the nation to mobilize and to defend the nation.
On this March 10, 2025, file picture, Venezuela’s Vice-President and Oil Minister Delcy Rodriguez addresses the media in Caracas, Venezuela.
Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/Reuters, FILE
“United as a nation, the Venezuelan individuals will discover a path of peace and calm. Those that resort to drive, those that resort to violating worldwide regulation — they don’t have proper or motive on their facet,” she stated. “We’ve got historic proper and ethical proper on our facet, and we’ll stand agency in defending peace, calm, Venezuela’s future, the individuals’s declare to their homeland, and their proper to hope and social well-being.”
Rodriguez’s feedback demanding for the “fast launch” of Maduro contradict what Trump stated she had advised Secretary of State Marco Rubio throughout a “lengthy” cellphone dialog held Saturday.
Trump claimed on Saturday that Rodriguez stated she is able to work with Washington and that “she’s primarily prepared to do what we expect is critical to make Venezuela nice once more.”
ABC Information’ Dada Jovanovic and Victoria Moll Rordriguez contributed to this report.
