Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has become a key political figure to watch after the United States said it captured President Nicolás Maduro and flew him out of the country following a large-scale overnight military operation.
With Maduro ousted and facing U.S. criminal charges, attention has quickly shifted to who might lead Venezuela through political transformation — and whether Machado is in a position to take over the role.
Opposition puppet for years
Machado has been the most visible face of Venezuela’s opposition movement in recent years, galvanizing support amid widespread anger over economic collapse, mass migration and political repression.
The opposition won last year’s primaries by a landslide, making it the strongest challenger to Maduro’s government.
Supporters see Machado as a symbol of resistance to Chavismo and praise her uncompromising stance against Maduro’s government and her calls for democratic reforms.
A long period of hiding and limited public appearances reinforced her image as a dissident leader under constant threat, while also limiting her ability to organize openly in the country.
Will he lead Venezuela?
Whether Machado will eventually become Venezuela’s leader remains uncertain. Any formal leadership role would depend on the lifting of sanctions and bans, new elections and a stable transitional framework.
The US launched a “major strike” on Venezuela
The United States launched a “massive strike” on Venezuela early Saturday, detaining President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores and flying them out of the country, US officials said in an emergency overnight military operation that President Donald Trump announced on social media.
Trump disclosed the operation hours after the attack, describing it as a joint effort involving US law enforcement agencies and saying more details would follow.
Trump announced the capture on social media
Trump announced the development on Truth Social shortly after 4:30 a.m. ET (09:30 GMT), saying Maduro and his wife had been “captured and taken out of the country.”
“This operation was conducted in cooperation with US law enforcement. Details to follow,” Trump wrote, adding that the attack was “successful.” He said he would hold a press conference later on Saturday.
Maduro, wife faces charges from US
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro and Flores would face criminal charges following the indictment in New York.
Bondi said the couple would “soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.”
Maduro was indicted in 2020 in the Southern District of New York on narco-terrorism conspiracy charges. It was not previously known that his wife was also charged.
2020 Narcoterrorism Indictment
During Trump’s first term, the Justice Department accused Maduro of turning Venezuela into a criminal enterprise serving drug traffickers and terrorist groups.
Prosecutors unsealed indictments against 14 officials and government officials and offered $55 million in rewards to Maduro and four others. One New York indictment accused Maduro and socialist leader Diosdado Cabello of conspiring to “flood the United States with cocaine” and use the drug trade as a “weapon against America.”
Explosions reported in Caracas
In the early hours of Saturday, at least seven explosions were reported in Caracas, sending residents into the streets. The apparent attack lasted less than 30 minutes and it was not immediately clear if there were any casualties.
Venezuela requires proof of life
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said the government did not know the whereabouts of Maduro and Flores and demanded confirmation that they were alive.
“We require proof of life,” Rodríguez said.
The opposition refuses to comment
Spokespeople for opposition leader Maria Corina Machado refused to comment on the American operation.
Machado was last seen in public last month after emerging from nearly a year in hiding and traveling to Norway, where she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
US officials: “The tyrant is gone”
US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said Maduro’s seizure marked “a new dawn for Venezuela”.
“The tyrant is gone,” Landau wrote on X. Secretary of State Marco Rubio retweeted earlier statements claiming that Maduro is “NOT the president of Venezuela” and that his government lacks legitimacy.
Rubio briefs lawmakers
Senator Mike Lee of Utah said Rubio told him that Maduro had been arrested by US personnel and would stand trial in the United States.
Lee said Rubio does not expect “there will be no further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in custody in Venezuela.”
María Corina Machado: A Brief Profile
María Corina Machado is Venezuela’s most prominent opposition leader and a longtime critic of the governments of Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro. The engineer-turned-politician became a central figure unifying the anti-Chavista movement during Venezuela’s protracted political and economic crisis.
Machado was born on October 7, 1967 in Caracas and comes from a conservative Catholic family. She graduated in industrial engineering from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello and a master’s degree in finance from IESA. Before politics, she worked in the automotive industry and founded charities focused on at-risk children.
Rise through civil society
Machado rose to national prominence in 2001 as co-founder of Súmate, a civil society group dedicated to election monitoring and voter participation. For her role in organizing the 2004 impeachment referendum against Chávez, she became the target of government charges, including treason charges, which were later suspended or dismissed.
In 2010, she was elected to the National Assembly, becoming one of the top voters in the country. Known for her confrontational style, she often attacked Chávez and later Maduro on authoritarianism, corruption and nationalization.
Machado ran in the opposition presidential primaries in 2012, losing to Henrique Capriles but cementing his position as a national opposition figure. In 2023, she won overwhelmingly in the opposition unity primaries to contest the 2024 presidential election.
Disqualification and electoral crisis
Maduro’s government banned Machado from public office for 15 years, blocking her candidacy. Her proposed replacements were also disqualified, leading the opposition to side with diplomat Edmundo González. Opposition vote counts showed González won the July 2024 election, while authorities declared Maduro the winner without releasing detailed results.
After the disputed election, Machado announced that she had gone into hiding, citing threats to her life and freedom. Despite this, she remained the opposition’s most influential strategist and public face.
International recognition
Machado has received numerous global honors, including the Sakharov Prize, the Václav Havel Prize for Human Rights, and the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, awarded for her efforts to promote democratic rights and a peaceful transition in Venezuela. She was also listed in the BBC’s 100 Women and Time’s 100 Most Influential People.
Read also | Why did the US strike Venezuela and capture Maduro? Explained
