Venezuelan Opposition Politician on Maduro Capture & the Uncertain Future

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF VENEZUELANS SUPPORT AND THIS IS A HUGE STEP FOR A DEMOCRATIC AND ORDERLY TRANSITION.

REGARDING MARIA CORINA Machado AND PRESIDENT-ELECT EDMUNDO GONZALES OVER TO YOU, THEY HAVE THE OVERWHELMING SUPPORT OF VENEZUELANS.

THEY'VE GOT LEGITIMACY, NOT ONCE BUT TWICE, IN THE CASE OF MARIA CORINA Machado WAS ELECTED IN THE PRIMARY, AND THEN WHEN SHE ENDORSED RESIDENT ELECT EDMUNDO GONZALES, WE WON AND WE PROVED WE WON THE ELECTION ON JULY 28th 2024, DESPITE ELECTION TRANSPARENCY, IT WAS RIGGED BUT THAT WAS THE TOOL THAT WE USED TO MOBILIZE MILLIONS OF VENEZUELANS AND AS A COUNTRY WE NEEDED TO GET TO THIS POINT AND I DON'T HAVE ANY DOUBT THAT MARIA CORINA Machado WITH PRESIDENT-ELECT EDMUNDO REBUILDING OF VENEZUELA, FOR SURE.

>> OKAY.

I'M GLAD YOU DON'T HAVE ANY DOUBT AND LET'S REINFORCE WHAT YOU SAY.

CLEARLY A MAJORITY OF VENEZUELANS AND MANY PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD INCLUDING THE VENEZUELAN DIASPORA ARE DELIGHTED ABOUT THIS, SHED NO TEARS FOR MADURO AND HIS WIFE BUT THIS IS NOT REGIME CHANGE AND I WANT TO DRILL DOWN WITH YOU ON WHAT AMBASSADOR ROBINSON JUST TOLD US, BECAUSE I NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON.

BUT FIRST THE ISSUE OF RESPECT AND I GUESS INFLUENCE WITH THE MILITARY.

THIS IS WHAT MRS.

Machado TOLD ME IN OCTOBER ABOUT THE SUPPORT SHE THOUGHT SHE COULD CALL ON IN VENEZUELA.

>> HE IS MORE ISOLATED THAN EVER.

NOT ONLY LOCALLY AND INTERNALLY.

HE DOESN'T EVEN TRUST THE ARMED FORCES OR THE POLICE.

THIS CRAZY IDEA WHICH IS ALL FAKE, ABOUT ARMING MILITIAS, IS BECAUSE HE DOESN'T TRUST THE MILITARY.

OVER 80% OF THE ARMED FORCES ARE WITH US.

AND HUMILIATION, AND THEY WANT TO BE PART OF A SECURE NATION.

>> SO SHE'S OBVIOUSLY TALKING ABOUT MADURO AND HOW HE'S HAVING TO TRY TO GET THESE MILITIAS AND ALL THE REST OF IT.

BUT JUST TALK TO ME ABOUT THIS MILITARY THING, AS THAT'S WHERE THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES SAID THAT SHE DOES NOT HAVE THE COMMAND OVER THEM, THE RESPECT OF THEM THE ABILITY TO STEP IN RIGHT NOW.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE TRUTH THERE, THE REALITY?

>> WELL MARIA Machado, ON THAT INTERVIEW THAT YOU JUST SHOWED, WAS TOTALLY RIGHT.

IF MADURO HAD THE SUPPORT OF THE MILITARY AND THE ARMED FORCES, HE WOULD'VE STAYED IN VENEZUELA.

HE WOULD'VE SURVIVED THE MILITARY OPERATION.

IT WAS PROVEN, SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE SAID FOR YEARS, THAT HIS INNER CIRCLE OF SECURITY WAS COMPOSED BY CUBAN AGENTS.

SO DEFINITELY HE WAS ISOLATED.

HE WAS TOTALLY BETRAYED AND HE'S FACING JUSTICE.

BY THE WAY, CHRISTIANE, I HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING.

MADURO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR AT LEAST 20,000 ILLEGAL DETENTIONS.

20,000 INNOCENT VENEZUELANS THAT DIDN'T HAVE A RIGHT FOR A LAWYER, ATTORNEY, DIDN'T HAVE A RIGHT SOMETIMES TO HAVE A VISIT FROM FAMILIES.

THEY WERE COMPLETELY INNOCENT, JUST BECAUSE THEY THINK DIFFERENTLY.

THEY WERE ILLEGALLY DETAINED.

THE MAJORITY WERE PSYCHOLOGICALLY TORTURED AND PHYSICALLY TORTURED.

AND NOW IT'S FUNNY TO SEE MADURO AND CELIA WITH THE RIGHTS BEING RESPECTED.

THEY'RE HAVING FOOD IN THE JAIL.

THEY'RE HAVING ACCESS TO AN ATTORNEY AND THEY'RE HAVING THE COVERAGE OF THE NEWS.

SO THIS IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WHAT WE HAVE COME THROUGH VENEZUELA AND THEY ARE STILL -- SORRY, THERE ARE STILL MORE THAN 800 POLITICAL PRISONERS THAT NEED TO BE RELEASED.

>> OKAY.

I HAVE NOT HEARD PRESIDENT TRUMP OR SECRETARY OF STATE RUBIO SAY ONE THING ABOUT THAT AND I'M JUST AMAZED, EVEN MORE AMAZED BY THAT, BY THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE NOT FOCUSED AND THEY ARE NOT USING THE WORD DEMOCRACY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

MAYBE RUBIO A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT PUTTING IT ON HOLD FOR NOW WHILE THEY DO I DON'T KNOW WHAT.

SO I WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK THEY'RE GOING TO DO.

AND FURTHERMORE, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THEM?

BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, THERE ARE VERY FEW TEARS THAT ARE GOING TO BE SHED FOR MADURO.

BUT MADURO'S HENCHMEN AND WOMEN ARE STILL RUNNING THE COUNTRY.

YOU JUST HEARD THE U.S.

AMBASSADOR UNDER TRUMP 1.0 SAYING THAT.

THAT IS A FACT.

SO WHAT SENSE COULD WE MAKE OF THIS AND HOW YOU THINK THERE WILL BE A DEMOCRATIC TRANSITION?

>> THE BEGINNINGS OF ANY TRANSITION ALWAYS ARE A BIT MESSY AND CONFUSING.

IT'S BEEN ONLY 60 HOURS SINCE THIS OPERATION HAPPENED IN MY COUNTRY.

I'M SURE SECRETARY RUBIO KNOWS VERY WELL WHO DELCY RODRIGUEZ HIS.

DELCY RODRIGUEZ IS PART OF THE SONS CARTEL.

SHE WAS A MASTERMIND TO OPEN VENEZUELA'S DOOR TO CHINA, RUSSIA, AND IRAN.

SHE HAS BEEN AN ENABLER TO ALLOW MONEY-LAUNDERING SCHEMES AND CORRUPTION FOR MADURO AND OBVIOUSLY IS SOMEONE THAT YOU CANNOT TRUST, AND SOMEONE THAT DOESN'T HAVE ANY SUPPORT FROM VENEZUELANS.

SO PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS VERY CLEAR WHEN HE SAID THAT SHE COULD END EVEN WORSE THAN MADURO.

SO I'M OPTIMISTIC THAT THIS WILL AND WELL.

I DON'T HAVE ANY DOUBT AND I WANT TO REITERATE THAT MARIA CORINA Machado AND EDMUNDO GONZALES ARE GOING TO LEAD THE REBUILDING OF VENEZUELA.

THEY ARE THE ONES WHO CAN GUARANTEE A GREAT ALLIANCE WITH THE U.S., A GREAT ALLIANCE WITH THE DEMOCRATIC COUNTRIES IN LATIN AMERICA, A GREAT ALLIANCE WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION AND NATIONS BEYOND, AND THIS IS SOMETHING AGAIN THAT VENEZUELANS ARE CELEBRATING BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN SO MUCH SUFFERING FOR A LONG TIME.