Venezuelan opposition leader expresses intention to negotiate with acting president
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said Thursday she is determined to negotiate a democratic transition of power with acting president Delcy Rodriguez following the ouster of Nicolas Maduro in January.
The opposition, led by Machado, insists that its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, won the controversial 2024 election, in which Maduro declared victory.
In a statement, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Machado asked the United States to support serious, firm and responsible political negotiations with the transitional government to restore democracy in Venezuela.
She added that the main objective of these negotiations is to be able to hold free, transparent and sovereign presidential elections.
Machado expressed confidence in US President Donald Trump’s plans for Venezuela after his administration authorized an attack on Caracas in January to arrest Maduro.
She said on Saturday that she would run in the upcoming elections despite no date being set for the vote.
“I will run for office,” she said during a visit to Panama to meet with members of the Venezuelan community there.
Trump had hinted that new elections would be held after US forces captured Maduro on January 3, but no date has yet been set for the vote.
Since then, Maduro’s former deputy, Delcy Rodriguez, has been serving as acting president of the country.
The Venezuelan government considers Machado, who is in exile, a fugitive and accuses her of calling for military intervention against the country.
