CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) 鈥� Venezuela鈥檚 opposition supporters have long hoped for the day when is no longer in power 鈥� a dream that was fulfilled when the U.S. military whisked the authoritarian leader away. But while Maduro is in jail in New York on drug trafficking charges, the leaders of his repressive administration remain in charge.
The nation’s opposition 鈥� backed by consecutive Republican and Democratic administrations in the U.S. 鈥� for years vowed to immediately replace Maduro with one of their own and restore democracy But U.S. President Donald Trump delivered them a heavy blow by allowing Maduro鈥檚 vice president, to assume control.
Meanwhile, most opposition leaders, including Nobel Peace Prize winner , are in exile or prison.
鈥淭hey were clearly unimpressed by the sort of ethereal magical realism of the opposition, about how if they just gave Maduro a push, it would just be this instant move toward democracy,鈥� David Smilde, a Tulane University professor who has studied Venezuela for three decades, said of the Trump administration.
The U.S. seized Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores in a military operation Saturday, removing them both from their home on a military base in Venezuela鈥檚 capital, Caracas. Hours later, Trump said the U.S. would 鈥渞un鈥� Venezuela and expressed skepticism that Machado could ever be its leader.
鈥淪he doesn鈥檛 have the support within, or the respect within, the country,鈥� Trump told reporters. 鈥淪he鈥檚 a very nice woman, but she doesn鈥檛 have the respect.鈥�
Ironically, Machado’s unending praise for the American president, including dedicating her Nobel Peace Prize to Trump and her backing of U.S. campaigns to deport Venezuelan migrants and attack alleged drug traffickers in international waters, has lost her some support at home.
The rightful winner of Venezuela’s presidential election
Machado rose to become Maduro’s strongest opponent in recent years, but his government barred her from running for office to prevent her from challenging 鈥� and likely beating 鈥� him in the 2024 presidential election. She chose retired ambassador Edmundo Gonz谩lez Urrutia to represent her on the ballot.
Officials loyal to the ruling party declared Maduro the winner mere hours after the polls closed, but Machado’s well-organized campaign stunned the nation by collecting detailed tally sheets showing Gonz谩lez had defeated Maduro by a 2-to-1 margin.
The U.S. and other nations recognized Gonz谩lez as the legitimate winner.
However, Venezuelans identify Machado, not Gonz谩lez, as the winner, and the charismatic opposition leader has remained the voice of the campaign, pushing for international support and insisting her movement will replace Maduro.
In her first televised interview since Maduro’s capture, Machado effusively praised Trump and failed to acknowledge his snub of her opposition movement in the latest transition of power.
鈥淚 spoke with President Trump on Oct. 10, the same day the prize was announced, not since then,鈥� she told Fox 海角社区app on Monday. 鈥淲hat he has done as I said is historic, and it鈥檚 a huge step toward a democratic transition.鈥�
Hopes for a new election
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday that the U.S. would 鈥渞un鈥� Venezuela. In interviews, Rubio insisted that Washington will use control of Venezuela鈥檚 oil industry to force policy changes, and called its current government illegitimate. The country is home to the .
Neither Trump nor Rodr铆guez has said when, or if, elections might take place in Venezuela.
Venezuela鈥檚 constitution requires an election within 30 days whenever a president becomes 鈥減ermanently unavailable鈥� to serve. Reasons listed include death, resignation, removal from office or 鈥渁bandonment鈥� of duties as declared by the National Assembly. That electoral timeline was rigorously followed when Maduro鈥檚 predecessor, Hugo Ch谩vez, died of cancer in 2013.
On Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally who traveled with the president on Air Force One on Sunday, said he believes an election will happen but did not specify when or how.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to build the country up 鈥� infrastructure wise 鈥� crescendoing with an election that will be free,鈥� the South Carolina Republican told reporters.
But Maduro loyalists in the high court Saturday, citing another provision of the constitution, declared Maduro’s absence 鈥渢emporary鈥� meaning there is no election requirement. Instead, the vice president 鈥� which is not an elected position 鈥� takes over for up to 90 days, with a provision to extend to six months if approved by the National Assembly, which is controlled by the ruling party.
Challenges lie ahead for the opposition
In its ruling, Venezuela鈥檚 Supreme Court made no mention of the 180-day limit, leading to speculation that Rodr铆guez could try to cling to power as she seeks to unite ruling party factions and shield it from what would certainly be a stiff electoral challenge.
Machado on Monday criticized Rodr铆guez as 鈥渙ne the main architects of torture, persecution, corruption, narco-trafficking 鈥� certainly not an individual that can be trusted by international investors.鈥�
Even if an election takes place, Machado and Gonz谩lez would first have to find a way back into Venezuela.
Gonz谩lez has been in exile in Spain since September 2024 and Machado left Venezuela last month when she appeared in public for the first time in 11 months to receive her Nobel Prize in Norway.
Ronal Rodr铆guez, a researcher at the Venezuela Observatory in Colombia鈥檚 Universidad del Rosario, said the Trump administration’s decision to work with Rodr铆guez could harm the nation’s 鈥渄emocratic spirit.鈥�
鈥淲hat the opposition did in the 2024 election was to unite with a desire to transform the situation in Venezuela through democratic means, and that is embodied by Mar铆a Corina Machado and, obviously, Edmundo Gonz谩lez Urrutia,鈥� he said. 鈥淭o disregard that is to belittle, almost to humiliate, Venezuelans.鈥�
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