Venezuelan Oppn leader Maria Machado says 'hour of freedom' has arrived

Maria Corina Machado, Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel laureate, on Saturday said the “hour of freedom has arrived” after the United States said it had taken President Nicolás Maduro into custody following military action in the oil-rich country. 

In a statement posted on X, María Corina Machado said Venezuela had reached a decisive moment after the US announced action against President Nicolás Maduro.

 

“Venezuelans, the hour of freedom has arrived. As of today, Nicolás Maduro faces international justice for the atrocious crimes committed against Venezuelans and against citizens of many other nations,” Machado said.

 

She said Washington had acted after Maduro rejected the possibility of a negotiated political solution.

 

 

“Given his refusal to accept a negotiated solution, the United States government has fulfilled its promise to uphold the law,” she added.

Call for democratic transition and restoration of order

Machado said the developments opened the path for popular and national sovereignty to prevail in Venezuela.

 

“The time has come for popular sovereignty and national sovereignty to prevail in our country. We will restore order, free political prisoners, build an exceptional country and bring our children back home,” she said.

 

She described the moment as the result of years of political struggle.

 

“We have fought for years, we have given everything, and it has been worth it. What had to happen is happening,” Machado said.

Backing for Edmundo González Urrutia

Machado reiterated her support for opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia, whom she described as the legitimate president elected by Venezuelans.

 

“This is the hour of the citizens. Those of us who elected Edmundo González 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,” she said.

 

She urged military officers and soldiers to recognise González and support a constitutional transition.

Appeal to citizens at home and abroad

Machado said the opposition was prepared to assert its mandate and take responsibility for governing the country.

 

“Today we are prepared to assert our mandate and take power. Let us remain vigilant, active and organised until the democratic transition is completed, a transition that needs all of us,” she said.

 

She also issued separate appeals to Venezuelans inside and outside the country.

 

“To Venezuelans within our country, be ready to implement what we will soon communicate through our official channels,” Machado said.

 

“To Venezuelans abroad, we need you mobilised, engaging governments and citizens around the world and committing them to the great operation of building the new Venezuela,” she added.

Venezuela will be free: Machado

Machado ended her message with an emotional appeal, calling for unity and resolve.

 

“In these decisive hours, receive all my strength, my confidence and my affection. We remain alert and in contact. Venezuela will be free. We go hand in hand with God, until the end,” she said.

 

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

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

 

Earlier, in a video message released on New Year’s Eve, Machado and González said 2026 would mark the consolidation of freedom in Venezuela.

 

“Another year is ending, and we are nearing the start of 2026. We await the new year with faith, hope and conviction that it will bring a better future,” Machado said in Spanish, speaking while in prolonged hiding.

 

González, also speaking in Spanish, said the year had marked a turning point for the country.

 

“We have reached the end of a decisive year. It was not easy, but it marked a turning point in our modern history. The struggle to reunite our families and our country has been long and arduous, but it has made us stronger and more resilient,” he said.

 

Machado entered electoral politics in 2010 and won a seat in Venezuela’s National Assembly, serving from 2011 to 2014. During her tenure, she emerged as a prominent critic of the governments of Hugo Chávez and later Nicolás Maduro, focusing on corruption, human rights and democratic governance.  In 2025, she received the Nobel Peace Prize and several other recognitions from European and academic institutions for her work in defence of democratic rights.