Name: Two women vying to run Venezuela amid opposing viewpoints
Uploaded: 2026-01-06T02:07:04.990Z
Duration: 3 min 1 s
Description: The capture of Nicolás Maduro is prompting strong reaction from Venezuelans in the United States, and those who fled across the border into Colombia. Lilia Luciano has more on the two women vying to lead the country. Then, Cristian Benavides reports on opposing viewpoints on U.S. intervention.

The capture of Nicolás Maduro is prompting strong reaction from Venezuelans in the United States, and those who fled across the border into Colombia. Lilia Luciano has more on the two women vying to lead the country. Then, Cristian Benavides reports on opposing viewpoints on U.S. intervention.

Caracas

The U.S has launched strikes on sites inside Venezuela, including military facilities and arrested Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro along wife his wife.

Venezuela Strikes

Venezuela is experiencing a pivotal moment as two prominent women, acting president Dulce Rodriguez and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, compete for control following the capture of former president Maduro. Rodriguez, a longtime Maduro loyalist, seeks cooperation with the U.S. while condemning Maduro's capture, whereas Machado, after winning the Nobel Peace Prize, claims regime change is mandated by the people but faces skepticism about her support.

The developments have led to widespread reactions among Venezuelans abroad, with celebrations in the United States and debates over foreign intervention. Many Venezuelans express hope for a return to democracy after more than 25 years, though questions remain about who will lead the country until new elections are held.

Two women vying to run Venezuela amid opposing viewpoints

Maduro's capture is prompting strong reaction from Venezuelans here in the United States and those who fled across the border into Colombia. We're going to have two reports tonight, beginning with Lili Luciano on the Colombia-Venezuela border. Lili, good evening. Tony, let's talk about the big picture. The future of Venezuelans hangs on who gets to lead long-term that country, and that battle right now is between two very powerful women. Dulce Rodriguez, the acting president, has been a Maduro loyalist and leading figure within the regime for nearly eight years. She is now striking a delicate balance, telling the U.S. she wants lasting cooperation, while also telling the Venezuelans she condemns the Maduro capture as a kidnapping. As his vice president in 2024, she backed the election results, which were declared fraudulent by international monitors. We're seeing a group of protesters on the front lines. We were the only U.S. network crew on the ground in Caracas with opposition leader Maria Corina Machado when Maduro declared victory. Protests, violations of the popular vote. Soon after, Maduro threatened Machado with arrest, and she went into hiding. In October, when she won the Nobel Peace Prize, she appeared confident. The regime change was already mandated by the Venezuelan people. But President Trump on Saturday said Machado lacks the support and respect of the Venezuelan people needed to lead them. While here many remain skeptical, there has been a strong reaction among Venezuelans living in the United States. To hear what they have to say, my colleague Cristian Benavides is in Doral, Florida. Well, for many, there is a sense of euphoria here and cautious optimism about the future of Venezuela. Across the United States, Venezuelans erupted in celebration over Maduro's ouster. In Florida, Andrea Ramos brought her two young children to witness history. I didn't think I was going to live to see this happening, honestly. She left Venezuela in 2016 and hopes Maduro's capture will lead to freedom and democracy. I'm just extremely happy and thankful to the U.S. government for everything that's going on. Anti-interventionist activists have also taken to the streets. It speaks to the mass nature of this movement that so many people stand against this war. Some Venezuelans do wonder just who will lead the country until an election can take place. That's something huge because we are like an independent republic. Yet most Venezuelans we spoke to, such as Jose Cruz, said U.S. control may be necessary to stabilize the nation. We do love the United States, but our country is Venezuela. It's been more than 25 years since Venezuela has been a democracy, and those we spoke to here said there is now hope that could change.

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Two women vying to run Venezuela amid opposing viewpoints

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Venezuela Strikes