The Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado expressed on Saturday that she is confident the military and police are “one step away from doing the right thing,” in light of the “will for change” expressed in the elections five months ago, referring to the contested victory of Edmundo González Urrutia, despite the fact that President Nicolás Maduro was declared the winner.

“Military citizens, police citizens, this message is for you. The time for decision has come, and it is time to tear down the last obstacle that separates us from freedom. Venezuela trusts you. I trust in the moral reserve of our men of honor and arms. See you soon in the streets,” wrote the former congresswoman on X.

In an audio posted on this social media platform, Machado addressed the members of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) and police forces, saying the people “are united in one voice” and that “everyone, deep down, has made the right decision and is just waiting for the collective resolution to act.”

In this context, the opposition leader urged the military and police to ask themselves “if silence” does not make them “accomplices of the current tyranny,” and “if undue obedience” does not “place them at the service of a handful of criminals.”

Former Uruguayan President José Mujica underwent surgery on Friday, during which a stent was successfully placed in his esophagus. In April, a malignant tumor was discovered in the area, which was treated with radiation therapy.

“We did it today because the situation required it at this moment. This will allow him to continue eating orally, continue receiving food as before, and maintain his recovery at home,” explained his personal doctor, Raquel Pannone, in a press conference.

She also took the opportunity to explain how the stent works.

“It is a prosthesis. A device placed inside the esophagus that self-expands. This metal device adheres to the walls of the esophagus and remains there, expanding the esophagus’ opening and allowing the passage of food,” she detailed.

Azerbaijan Airlines stated on Friday that the plane that crashed in Kazakhstan experienced “external, physical, and technical interference,” based on preliminary investigation results, fueling speculation that the aircraft may have been struck by Russian defense missiles.

The Embraer 190 aircraft, operated by Azerbaijan Airlines and carrying 67 people, was en route from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to Grozny, the capital of the Chechen Republic in Russian territory, when it crashed near Aktau, a port on the Caspian Sea in western Kazakhstan, far from its intended route. The crash resulted in the deaths of 38 people, according to Kazakh authorities.

In response to the incident, Azerbaijan Airlines announced the suspension of its flights to several Russian cities, as the “preliminary results of the investigation into the Embraer 190 crash… point to external, physical, and technical interference.”