Venezuela stands on the precipice of a historic political transition, with Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado now the likely next president following the dramatic capture of authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro by the United States.
Opposition Figures to Assume Power
According to a leading Caracas expert, opposition leaders Machado and Edmundo González are next in line to succeed in the South American nation. Jorge Jraissati, President of the Economic Inclusion Group, told Fox News Digital that the pair would assume a transitional government, commanding the support of an estimated 70% of Venezuelans.
"They would lead this transition period," Jraissati stated, expressing his belief that Machado possesses the "capacity and integrity" to guide the country through the shock of its former leader's removal. He emphasised that her key challenge would be "her ability to surround herself with young and capable Venezuelans instead of career politicians."
A Tumultuous Path to Power
The political landscape has been fraught. The United States formally recognised González as Venezuela's legitimate leader after he won the 2024 election by a landslide margin of more than two-to-one. This outcome was ignored by Maduro, who had previously used the courts to ban Machado from running, forcing González to become the unified opposition candidate.
While Machado has not yet commented publicly on Maduro's capture, her recent stance has been unequivocal. Last month, she backed Donald Trump's tough stance on Venezuela, declaring the country had been turned into "the criminal hub of the Americas" under Maduro's rule and urging sustained international pressure on the regime.
Machado's Stark Warning on Foreign Influence
At a press conference in Oslo in December 2025, where she attended following her Nobel award, Machado was asked if she would support a US invasion. Her response painted a chilling picture of existing foreign domination.
"Venezuela has already been invaded," she asserted. "We have the Russian agents, we have the Iranian agents, we have terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, operating freely in accordance with the regime."
She detailed a deep crisis, stating, "We have the Colombian guerilla, the drug cartels that have taken over 60% of our populations and not only involving drug trafficking, but in human trafficking, in networks of prostitution."
Machado directly linked the regime's survival to illicit funding, explaining, "What sustains the regime is a very powerful and strongly funded repression system... from drug trafficking, from the black market of oil, from arms trafficking and from human trafficking." Without naming Trump, she called on the international community to "cut those sources."
The Road Ahead for a Nation in Crisis
Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in October 2025 for her prominent opposition to Maduro's government. Her ascent comes at a moment of extreme volatility. Currently, Venezuelan Executive Vice President Delcy Rodríguez is leading the government in the immediate aftermath of Maduro's capture.
The coming weeks will test the opposition's unity and Machado's capacity to form a government capable of stabilising a nation ravaged by economic collapse, criminal infiltration, and profound political division. The world watches to see if the Nobel laureate can translate her moral authority into tangible political change.
