Venezuelan Opposition’s Machado Detained, Calls Maduro's Third-Term Inauguration a Coup

Jan 10, 2025, 07:55 PM

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado emerged from hiding to lead protests in Caracas against President Nicolás Maduro's inauguration for a third term on January 10, which she described as consolidating a coup d'état. During the protests on January 9, Machado was detained by security forces; her driver was shot in the leg during the interception. She was forcibly taken from her motorcycle, detained, and compelled to record videos before being released. Human Rights Watch confirmed her detention and called for her immediate release. Machado urged for the restoration of the constitution and declared that victory is near. Edmundo González Urrutia, whom the opposition considers the president-elect, is in the Dominican Republic and has postponed his return to Venezuela and assumption of the presidency due to security concerns, following Machado's advice.