Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado says the arrest of Nicolás Maduro is “a huge step for humanity, for freedom and human dignity”
Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were seized from their Caracas compound on Saturday and flown to the US as part of a special forces operation
Speaking to Fox News, hours after Maduro appeared in a New York court, Machado says she is “grateful” for US President Donald Trump’s actions
Machado left Venezuela last month to accept the Nobel Peace Prize for her fight against what the Norwegian Nobel Committee called a dictatorship – she hasn’t returned since
Appearing in court alongside his wife on Monday, Maduro told a judge “I am still president” as he pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and other charges
While the “majority of the country” is “very happy”, Marcelo Vera Cruz tells the Newsday programme that “uncertainty” remains.
“Just like most of the country doesn’t want Maduro, it’s the same about Delcy Rodríguez… there [are] still a lot of people that are still in power that will continue to subject people to an autocratic regime.”
He says people have “doubt” about what Trump will do, adding: “I think most people think and believe that it’s the same old story with a different name.”
However, he says he can’t see people celebrating Maduro’s capture on the streets of Caracas because they would be pursued by “the state, by the intelligence, by the cops or by the paramilitary groups”.
“Inside our homes, yes, we are happy,” Marcelo says. “I can assure you that over 80% of the country is happy for what happened. But for our own safety we can’t just go out and celebrate.”
Marcelo hopes for a leader “chosen by an election process that was accepted by the majority of the country”.
