Overview
- President Donald Trump announced that U.S. forces captured Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, during a large-scale operation in Venezuela.
- In a communiqué declaring “the hour of freedom,” Machado said Maduro now faces international justice and linked the U.S. action to his refusal of a negotiated exit.
- Machado called for Edmundo González Urrutia to assume immediately as Venezuela’s legitimate president and to be recognized by the armed forces as commander in chief.
- González reposted her message and said the opposition is ready for a national reconstruction, urging Venezuelans to stay organized for a transition.
- U.S. officials signaled Maduro and Flores will face federal charges in the Southern District of New York, while control on the ground and international reactions remain in flux.