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Venezuela Faces Succession Test After Trump Says Maduro Is Captured

Analysts highlight María Corina Machado or Edmundo González as the leading options to head a transition.

Overview

  • President Donald Trump said Nicolás Maduro has been captured following large-scale U.S. strikes in Venezuela.
  • Machado, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was covertly extracted from Venezuela and is likely in Oslo after collecting the award.
  • She has previously praised Trump’s pressure campaign and urged outside intervention, though she has not commented on the latest developments.
  • The United States recognizes Edmundo González as the legitimate winner of the disputed 2024 vote that Maduro ignored.
  • Analysts warn that powerful insiders such as Diosdado Cabello, Jorge and Delcy Rodríguez, and senior security chiefs could contest any opposition-led transition.