Name: Venezuela’s leadership in limbo after U.S. abduction of Maduro
Uploaded: 2026-01-15T09:23:03.023Z
Duration: 2 min 5 s
Description: The US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has raised questions about who will be next to lead the country. Public opinion in Venezuela remains divided, with some citizens expressing skepticism about political promises and others noting the fragmentation of the opposition.

The US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has raised questions about who will be next to lead the country. Public opinion in Venezuela remains divided, with some citizens expressing skepticism about political promises and others noting the fragmentation of the opposition.

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 period of political uncertainty after the removal of Nicolás Maduro, with Maria Corina Machado and Dulce Rodriguez emerging as key figures in the country's leadership struggle. Machado, who recently won the Nobel Peace Prize for her human rights work, has met with U.S. President Donald Trump, while Trump currently supports interim President Rodriguez.

Public opinion in Venezuela remains divided, with some citizens expressing skepticism about political promises and others noting the fragmentation of the opposition. The international community is closely watching how Machado and Rodriguez navigate their roles, as their actions are expected to influence the country's future leadership.

Venezuela’s leadership in limbo after U.S. abduction of Maduro

Maria Corina Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote human rights and democracy. She dedicated it to the people of Venezuela. But for many inside the country, political debates can sometimes feel distant from daily concerns like work, security and stability. All politicians are cut from the same cloth. What's needed here is someone who knows how to lead and manage a country. If a person doesn't know how to manage a company or a country, it will go bankrupt. And it doesn't matter whether they're from the opposition or another party. As Machado meets President Donald Trump at the White House, many see it as an opportunity for her to make her case that she is the future leader of Venezuela. Trump, for now, has thrown his support behind interim President Dulce Rodriguez. Machado and Rodriguez are longtime political enemies. Staying in Trump's good grace is key to their political survival. In my view, she lost respect here in Venezuela, in the sense that she promised and promised and never delivered. That's my opinion. And having someone like that, it's better to be adrift. Others say that opposition leadership today feels fragmented and that no single figure fully represents the country's diverse realities. Of course, she's still an opposition leader. She is a leader. That woman mobilized people here. And if she were leading from the front, she would continue to mobilize people. But yes, she is a leader. While Venezuela's institutional leadership has shifted with the ouster of Nicolás Maduro, many Venezuelans say their focus remains on practical change rather than political titles. The international spotlight is both on Machado and Rodriguez and how they play their role on the global stage. How well they do will determine who will be Venezuela's next leader. Norisoto, Al Jazeera, Caracas.

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Venezuela’s leadership in limbo after U.S. abduction of Maduro

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Venezuela Strikes