Overview
- After a surprise U.S. operation removed Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s armed forces recognized Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as acting president.
- Trump said it would be “very tough” for María Corina Machado to lead Venezuela, asserting she lacks support and respect in the country.
- Two people close to the White House said he withdrew support because she accepted the Nobel Peace Prize, which one source called her “ultimate sin,” even after she dedicated it to him.
- U.S. officials describe a potential “soft transition” under Rodríguez, who has issued a conciliatory message expressing hope for cooperation with Washington.
- Machado’s whereabouts remain undisclosed and the opposition has struggled to mobilize, with her stand-in candidate Edmundo González fleeing to Spain.