According to a Caracas expert, the likely successors to ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro are Nobel Peace Prize winner for 2025, María Corina Machado, and opposition figure Edmundo González.

Jorge Jraissati, a Venezuelan and president of the Economic Inclusion Group, shared with Fox News Digital that Machado and González are poised to lead a transitional government in Venezuela. “They have the backing of 70% of Venezuelans and are expected to guide this critical period,” he stated. Jraissati further expressed confidence in Machado’s capability and integrity to manage this sensitive transition, emphasizing the importance of her surrounding herself with young, talented Venezuelans rather than career politicians.

The United States recognized González as Venezuela’s legitimate leader following his decisive victory over Maduro in the 2024 election, where he garnered more than twice the votes. González stepped in for Machado, who was barred from running for president by a ruling from Maduro’s high court. Despite the election results, Maduro dismissed the outcome.

Opposition presidential candidate María Corina Machado addressed supporters at a campaign rally in Caracas, Venezuela, on January 23, 2024.

Though Machado has yet to speak publicly on Maduro’s downfall, she expressed gratitude last month to former President Donald Trump during an interview with Fox News Digital. “I am deeply thankful to President Trump for his unwavering support and solidarity with the Venezuelan people. His gestures have been closely watched and have greatly impacted those striving to restore democracy and freedom in our nation,” Machado remarked.

Having been announced as the winner of the Nobel Prize in December, Machado, who was hiding at the time because of Maduro’s efforts to purge the opposition, said about the award and committee, “I am very grateful to them, and this is a measure of what this recognition means to the Venezuelan people.”

Opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez leads a demonstration against the official election results that declared that President Nicolas Maduro won reelection in Caracas, Venezuela, July 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez) (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)

Her daughter, Ana Corina Sosa, who accepted her Nobel Prize in Norway, said that her mother “wants to live in a free Venezuela” and “will never give up on that purpose.” Machado would later appear in Norway following a daring operation to get her out of the country.

Sosa’s prediction appears to have crystallized having said, “That is why we all know, and I know, that she will be back in Venezuela very soon.” Machado dedicated her Nobel to both Trump and the “suffering people of Venezuela.” 

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado waves at the Grand Hotel in Oslo, Norway, early Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Lise Åserud/NTB Scanpix via AP)

If either opposition leader María Corina Machado or Edmundo González fail to fill the vacuum in a post-Maduro Venezuela, experts point to a crowded field of dangerous actors who could attempt to seize power now Maduro is out.

Diosdado Cabello

Diosdado Cabello emerges as the most feared and influential figure in the regime. La Nación describes him as the longtime number two of Chavismo, with sweeping control over party machinery and the propaganda apparatus. His power stretches from internal political enforcement to the interior and justice portfolios.

Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello speaks next to a painting of the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez during a session at the National Assembly in Caracas on September 17, 2024. “He is more of a hard-liner who has been pretty critical of any sort of negotiations and dialogue with the opposition”, expert say. (Federico PARRA / AFP)

Jorge Rodríguez 

Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly and one of Maduro’s closest political operators, is another senior figure positioned for any succession scenario. La Nación highlights his prominence inside the ruling elite, noting his roles as mayor, communications minister and key strategist.

Delcy Rodríguez 

Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s vice president, is described as a central political operator within the regime and part of a powerful governing duo with her brother Jorge. Her influence spans institutional, economic and diplomatic spheres. The U.S. Treasury sanctioned Rodríguez as part of Maduro’s inner circle for helping dismantle democratic governance, and the European Union lists her under measures for human rights violations and the erosion of the rule of law.

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro (2nd R) waves next to First Lady Cilia Flores, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez. (FEDERICO PARRA/AFP via Getty Images))

Iván Hernández Dala 

Ivan Hernández Dala heads Venezuela’s military counterintelligence service (DGCIM) and commands the presidential guard, making him one of the most feared figures in the security apparatus. His control over internal repression gives him significant leverage in any power struggle. He was designated by the State Department in 2019 for his involvement in gross violations of human rights.

In this April 13, 2019 file photo, Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, speaks flanked by Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, right, and Gen. Ivan Hernandez, second from right, head of both the presidential guard and military counterintelligence in Caracas, Venezuela.  (Ariana Cubillos/AP Photo)

Vladimir Padrino López 

Vladimir Padrino López, Venezuela’s long-serving defense minister, is portrayed by La Nación as the backbone of the military establishment and the guarantor of Maduro’s survival. The armed forces remain loyal because of him, forming an axis of power between Padrino and Maduro.

In an interview with Fox News Digital in December, Jason Marczak, vice president and senior director at the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center, said, “A win isn’t just Nicolás Maduro leaving. . . . A win is actually a transition to democratic forces.”