"The freedom of Venezuela is near": Nobel laureate and opposition leader Maria Machado

Caracas [Venezuela], January 5 : Hailing the US action against dictator Nicolas Maduro, the Opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado on Monday claimed "brave people" of Venezuela took to the streets in 30 countries around the world to "celebrate the huge step" that marks the "inevitability and imminence" of the transition in Caracas.

In a post on social media platform X, Machado claimed, "The brave people of Venezuela took to the streets in 30 countries and 130 cities around the world to celebrate a huge step that marks the inevitability and imminence of the transition in Venezuela."

https://x.com/MariaCorinaYA/status/2008194629200498801?s=20

Acknowledging backing from the United States leadership, she added, "We Venezuelans thank President Donald Trump (@POTUS) and his administration for their firmness and determination in upholding the law."

Outlining her vision for the country's future international alignment, Machado wrote, "Venezuela will be the main ally of the United States in matters of security, energy, democracy, and human rights."

Expressing optimism about developments ahead, she said, "The freedom of Venezuela is near, and soon we will celebrate on our land."

Referring to the personal and social impact of the anticipated transition, Machado added, "We will shout, pray, and embrace as a family, because our children will return home."

Her remarks came as developments related to Venezuela's leadership continued to unfold in the United States. Venezuela's deposed dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, arrived at a New York courthouse on Monday, where Maduro is expected to appear before a judge, CNN reported.

Earlier in the day, Maduro and Flores were transferred from the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn to the courthouse, travelling by a combination of motorcade and helicopter, according to CNN. The two were seen wearing tan outfits and were heavily escorted by armed Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents.

As legal proceedings moved forward in New York, developments reverberated beyond the courtroom. Venezuela's foreign ministry paid tribute to 32 Cuban citizens killed in the US attack on Caracas over the weekend, saying they "gave their lives in the line of duty," CNN reported.

Maduro's court appearance follows his capture during a military strike on Saturday. In the immediate aftermath, President Donald Trump said that America is "in charge," while acting Venezuelan president Delcy Rodriguez called for "cooperation" with the US, signalling a softer response to the attack, CNN reported.

US officials have indicated that Washington is working to establish a pliant interim government in Venezuela. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the focus remains on setting policy and maintaining "leverage."

During the same period, Trump also made broader remarks touching on other international issues, including implying potential military action in Colombia, urging Mexico to get its "act together" on drugs, and stating that the US "needs Greenland."

The current developments stem from a pre-dawn US operation inside Venezuela, during which dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were detained and transferred to a US naval vessel before being flown to New York, according to the Trump administration.

US authorities have said that deposed dictator Nicolas Maduro is expected to face multiple charges, including narco-terrorism, drug trafficking and weapons-related offences.

The operation followed months of intensified US military activity in the region. Since September, Washington has launched dozens of strikes against vessels it claims were involved in drug trafficking linked to Venezuela, operations that reportedly resulted in more than 115 deaths and prompted legal experts to raise concerns over potential violations of international law.

US legal action against deposed dictator Nicolas Maduro dates back to President Donald Trump's first term. A superseding indictment unsealed on Saturday added fresh allegations of narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said on social media that Maduro and others "will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts".

However, President Trump's own remarks added a broader political dimension to the case. Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, he went beyond a law enforcement justification, stating that the United States would "run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition," while also referring to reclaiming American oil interests in Venezuela.

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