Venezuelan dissident outlines risks and opportunities as Venezuela enters post-Maduro era

With Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro extracted from Caracas connected Jan. 3, Venezuelans and nan world are anxious to study astir nan early that awaits.

In a property convention pursuing nan Maduro cognition connected Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that nan U.S. is "going to tally nan country" until a modulation tin beryllium safely made.

Isaias Medina, an world lawyer and erstwhile elder Venezuelan diplomat, said a serene modulation is captious for nan 9 to 10 cardinal Venezuelans who are forcibly displaced and surviving successful exile. Medina, who resigned his negotiated station successful protestation against Maduro's norm successful 2017, told Fox News Digital that exiled Venezuelans "have been preparing ourselves to spell backmost to rebuild our nation."

MARÍA CORINA MACHADO EMERGES AS TOP POTENTIAL SUCCESSOR AFTER MÁDURO’S FALL

People respond to nan news of nan seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, aft U.S. subject actions successful Venezuela Saturday, successful Doral, Florida, adjacent Miami connected Jan. 3, 2026.   (Giorgio Viera / AFP via Getty Images)

With support from world organizations for illustration nan Organization of American States, Medina said that nan astir important adjacent measurement for Venezuela is to found a transitional authorities that tin reconstruct nan norm of rule and rebuild institutions that person been decimated nether nan Maduro regime. Setting successful spot free and adjacent elections is peculiarly important, Medina said, noting that it’s "a ineligible responsibility owed to [Venezuela’s] people, because connected their occupied territory, it was ne'er equitable aliases really free."

Under Maduro, Medina said that "there was nary separation of powers, location was nary norm of law, location was not moreover sovereignty." Instead, Medina said Venezuela had an occupied territory extensively influenced by terrorist and trafficking organizations Hamas, Hezbollah, nan Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN) and nan Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). He said that these groups were exploiting Venezuelan resources.

David Daoud, a elder chap astatine nan Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that truthful agelong arsenic Venezuela poses nary threat to U.S. nationalist security, nan "ideal situation" for Venezuela "would beryllium American guidance for wished section action." 

FROM BUS DRIVER TO DICTATOR: NICOLÁS MADURO’S RISE AND FALL IN VENEZUELA

President Donald Trump speaks astatine his Mar-a-Lago club, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, successful Palm Beach, Fla, arsenic Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth listen.  (Alex Brandon/AP Photo)

"The champion we tin shepherd Venezuela to beryllium is simply a productive personnel of nan family of nations, and that’s thing that we tin thief pinch a softer touch, without boots connected nan ground," Daoud said. "I don’t deliberation we request to beryllium successful nan business of trying to create Jeffersonian democracies anywhere."

Following Maduro’s ouster, Daoud said that nan level of chaos allowed to beryllium wrong Venezuela will find whether terror groups for illustration Hezbollah and Hamas will beryllium capable to proceed operating there. "It would really dangle — does nan time aft successful Venezuela create a unchangeable authorities that is capable to decently workout power complete each its territory, is willing successful implementing nan norm of law, is not corrupt. That would make things very, very complicated, if not impossible, for Hezbollah to operate, astatine slightest successful nan measurement it has been operating for a decade-plus, ever since nan linkage betwixt it and nan original Chávez authorities came about."

MADURO’S FALL SPARKS SUSPICION OF BETRAYAL INSIDE VENEZUELA’S RULING ELITE

Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro gestures adjacent to his woman Cilia Flores arsenic they time off nan Capitolio, location of nan National Assembly, aft taking nan oath during nan statesmanlike inauguration successful Caracas connected Jan. 10, 2025. (Juan Barreto/AFP via Getty Images)

Going forward, Medina suggested that nan state will besides person to negociate guerrilla forces for illustration nan colectivos, convulsive groups of Venezuelans who were equipped and trained pinch aged U.S. and Russian subject weapons. Medina said that having these guerrillas "return nan weapons for freedom" could thief to "unite nan federation nether 1 banner of improvement and evolution… truthful that we tin person a state that really meets nan expectations, not only of nan riches that it has, but of nan group and nan improvement of their acquisition and training and jobs, because it has been wholly destroyed by design."

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Though nan roadworthy up is uncertain, Medina is filled pinch hope. "What we person up of america is simply a awesome travel to beryllium capable to build upon nan ruins of what this authorities near us. But I deliberation we’re going to go stronger, and this is nan moment. The clip has come," Medina explained.