Overview
- Speaking at Miami’s America Business Forum, María Corina Machado said “Maduro started this war; President Trump is finishing it,” endorsing U.S. maritime strikes and the broader pressure strategy.
- U.S. forces have destroyed nearly 20 suspected trafficking vessels since September 1, with about 66 deaths reported, alongside a large Caribbean deployment that includes the USS Gerald R. Ford and roughly 4,500 personnel.
- Trump told the forum the targeted “terrorist cartels” extend beyond Venezuela, as U.S. media report the administration is evaluating strikes on Venezuelan military targets and has authorized CIA covert activity.
- Human-rights groups report a surge in detentions, with political prisoners rising to about 875 and colectivos deployed in poor neighborhoods to tighten control.
- Machado detailed a transition blueprint to free political prisoners within the first 100 hours, secure borders and key sites, restore basic supplies, and open the economy in the first 100 days, framing Venezuela’s change as a catalyst for Cuba and Nicaragua.