Maria Corina Machado emerges as top potential successor after Maduro’s fall

The successors to nan ousted authoritarian Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro are apt to beryllium nan 2025 Nobel Peace Prize victor and guidance leaders María Corina Machado and Edmundo González, according to an master connected Caracas.

Jorge Jraissati, a Venezuelan who is nan president of nan Economic Inclusion Group, told Fox News Digital that  "Machado and Gonzalez would presume a transitional authorities successful Venezuela. They person nan support of 70% of Venezuelans. They would lead this modulation period." He added that "I judge Machado has nan capacity and integrity to lead this very delicate transition. Key will beryllium her expertise to situation herself pinch young and tin Venezuelans alternatively of profession politicians."

The United States recognized González arsenic nan morganatic leader of Venezuela aft he soundly defeated Maduro by a much than two-to-one separator successful nan 2024 election. González replaced Machado aft she was banned from moving for nan presidency by nan Maduro-run precocious court. Maduro ignored nan results.

VENEZUELAN DISSIDENT MACHADO CREDITS TRUMP FOR ADVANCING FREEDOM MOVEMENT, DEDICATES NOBEL TO HIM

Opposition conjugation statesmanlike hopeful Maria Corina Machado speaks to supporters astatine a run arena successful Caracas, Venezuela, Jan. 23, 2024. 

While Machado has yet to remark connected Maduro's fall, conscionable past period she told Fox News Digital that "I americium perfectly grateful to President Donald Trump for each gesture, each awesome and each infinitesimal that he has stood pinch nan Venezuelan people. I person watched it very closely, and I cognize what it has meant for those who are fighting to reclaim populist and state successful our country."

Having been announced arsenic nan victor of nan Nobel Prize successful December, Machado, who was hiding astatine nan clip because of Maduro’s efforts to purge nan opposition, said astir nan grant and committee, "I americium very grateful to them, and this is simply a measurement of what this nickname intends to nan Venezuelan people."

TRUMP CONFIRMS US STRIKE IN VENEZUELA, SAYS PRESIDENT NICOLAS MADURO HAS BEEN 'CAPTURED'

Opposition statesmanlike campaigner Edmundo Gonzalez leads a objection against nan charismatic predetermination results that declared that President Nicolas Maduro won reelection successful Caracas, Venezuela, July 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez) (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)

Her daughter, Ana Corina Sosa, who accepted her Nobel Prize successful Norway, said that her mother "wants to unrecorded successful a free Venezuela" and "will ne'er springiness up connected that purpose." Machado would later look successful Norway pursuing a daring cognition to get her retired of nan country.

Sosa’s prediction appears to person crystallized having said, "That is why we each know, and I know, that she will beryllium backmost successful Venezuela very soon." Machado dedicated her Nobel to some Trump and nan "suffering group of Venezuela." 

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado waves astatine nan Grand Hotel successful Oslo, Norway, early Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Lise Åserud/NTB Scanpix via AP)

If either guidance leader María Corina Machado aliases Edmundo González neglect to capable nan vacuum successful a post-Maduro Venezuela, experts constituent to a crowded section of vulnerable actors who could effort to prehend powerfulness now Maduro is out.

Diosdado Cabello

Diosdado Cabello emerges arsenic nan astir feared and influential fig successful nan regime. La Nación describes him arsenic nan longtime number 2 of Chavismo, pinch sweeping power complete statement machinery and nan propaganda apparatus. His powerfulness stretches from soul governmental enforcement to nan interior and justness portfolios.

Venezuela's Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello speaks adjacent to a coating of nan precocious Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez during a convention astatine nan National Assembly successful Caracas connected September 17, 2024. "He is much of a hard-liner who has been beautiful captious of immoderate benignant of negotiations and speech pinch nan opposition", master say. (Federico PARRA / AFP)

MADURO’S HEIRS: HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATORS, CORRUPT ENFORCERS AND RUTHLESS LOYALISTS

Jorge Rodríguez 

Jorge Rodríguez, president of nan National Assembly and 1 of Maduro’s closest governmental operators, is different elder fig positioned for immoderate succession scenario. La Nación highlights his prominence wrong nan ruling elite, noting his roles arsenic mayor, communications curate and cardinal strategist.

Delcy Rodríguez 

Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s vice president, is described arsenic a cardinal governmental usability wrong nan authorities and portion of a powerful governing duo pinch her relative Jorge. Her power spans institutional, economical and negotiated spheres. The U.S. Treasury sanctioned Rodríguez arsenic portion of Maduro’s soul circle for helping dismantle antiauthoritarian governance, and nan European Union lists her nether measures for quality authorities violations and nan erosion of nan norm of law.

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro (2nd R) waves adjacent to First Lady Cilia Flores, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez. (FEDERICO PARRA/AFP via Getty Images))

Iván Hernández Dala 

Ivan Hernández Dala heads Venezuela’s subject counterintelligence work (DGCIM) and commands nan statesmanlike guard, making him 1 of nan astir feared figures successful nan information apparatus. His power complete soul repression gives him important leverage successful immoderate powerfulness struggle. He was designated by nan State Department successful 2019 for his engagement successful gross violations of quality rights.

In this April 13, 2019 record photo, Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, speaks flanked by Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, right, and Gen. Ivan Hernandez, 2nd from right, caput of some nan statesmanlike defender and subject counterintelligence successful Caracas, Venezuela.  (Ariana Cubillos/AP Photo)

Vladimir Padrino López 

Vladimir Padrino López, Venezuela’s long-serving defense minister, is portrayed by La Nación arsenic nan backbone of nan subject constitution and nan guarantor of Maduro’s survival. The equipped forces stay loyal because of him, forming an axis of powerfulness betwixt Padrino and Maduro.

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In an question and reply pinch Fox News Digital successful December, Jason Marczak, vice president and elder head astatine nan Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center, said, "A triumph isn’t conscionable Nicolás Maduro leaving. . . . A triumph is really a modulation to antiauthoritarian forces."