On Saturday, Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado made a public appeal for a change in leadership, urging the country’s military to break ties with Nicolás Maduro’s administration. She called for the recognition of Edmundo González, the opposition’s chosen candidate, as the rightful president, following reports from the U.S. claiming Maduro had been detained.

Machado’s declaration came shortly after President Donald Trump revealed that U.S. military forces had apprehended Maduro. Describing the operation as “large-scale” military action against the Venezuelan regime, Trump stated that Maduro and his wife had been transported out of the country, marking a significant U.S. intervention in Latin American affairs not seen in decades.

“The moment for liberation is upon us,” Machado proclaimed in a post on X. “This is the time for citizens to act. Those of us who risked it all for democracy on July 28th, and those who voted for Edmundo González Urrutia as Venezuela’s legitimate President, must ensure he assumes his rightful constitutional role. He should be acknowledged as Commander-in-Chief of the National Armed Forces by every officer and soldier who serves.”

As of Saturday, it was still unclear whether the top military leaders had shifted their support or if the opposition had successfully taken control of state institutions.

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has called for a power transition, urging the military to reject Nicolás Maduro’s government in favor of Edmundo González as president, amid claims by the U.S. of Maduro’s capture. (Jesus Vargas/Getty Images)

Machado also called on Venezuelans inside the country to remain “vigilant, active and organized,” signaling that further instructions would be communicated through official opposition channels. To Venezuelans abroad, she urged immediate mobilization to pressure foreign governments to recognize a new leadership in Caracas.

The U.S. conducted strikes on Caracas early Saturday morning and took Maduro and his wife into custody and flew them to New York to face drug trafficking charges.

Machado and González have repeatedly argued that the July 28 presidential election was stolen, pointing to an opposition-run parallel vote count that they say shows González won by a wide margin.

Machado called on Venezuela’s opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia to be recognized as the president.  (Ernesto Benavides/AFP via Getty Images)

Venezuela’s electoral authorities, which are controlled by Maduro allies, declared him the winner with just under 52% of the vote, compared with roughly 43% for González. The government has rejected allegations of fraud.

The opposition, however, says it collected and published tally sheets from polling stations nationwide showing González received about two-thirds of the vote, compared with roughly 30% for Maduro — a claim cited by several foreign governments that declined to recognize the official results.

Machado’s statement came hours after President Donald Trump announced that U.S. forces had captured Maduro following what he described as “large-scale” military strikes targeting the Venezuelan government. (Pedro Rances Mattey/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Maduro’s government has refused to release detailed precinct-level data to independently verify the outcome, further fueling accusations that the election did not reflect the will of voters.

While González is the opposition-backed presidential candidate, Machado has remained the dominant figure in Venezuela’s opposition movement. Machado won the opposition’s primary by a landslide before being barred from running by Maduro’s government, forcing the coalition to rally behind González as a substitute candidate.

Throughout the campaign, González publicly acknowledged Machado as the movement’s leader, with Machado continuing to direct strategy, messaging and voter mobilization efforts. Machado has remained the public face of the opposition, while González has largely played a formal, constitutional role tied to the presidency.