International
María Corina Machado says that Nicolás Maduro is “cornered” inside and outside Venezuela
Venezuela’s opposition leader María Corina Machado said on Sunday that the president, Nicolás Maduro, is “cornered” inside and outside the country, and expressed that “the end” of the Chavista government is “much closer than many imagine,” despite the fact that the president insists that he will be sworn in as head of state in January, after his controversial re-election.
“Maduro is totally cornered. However, it still seems that there are some men of little faith who, in addition, believe they can convince Venezuelans that we are a defeated people, a people that must settle for humiliation, with the indignity of what those leftovers are left by that feast of the corrupt,” said the former deputy in an audio shared on social networks.
Machado assured that Chavismo “collapsed” in the presidential elections of July 28, with the “victory” – as he reiterated – of the candidate of the largest opposition alliance, the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), Edmundo González Urrutia, after which the Maduro government reacted with “violence.”
“But what he reaffirmed was the will to change of us Venezuelans and isolated Maduro inside and outside the country,” said the opponent, the main endorse of the leader of the PUD.
The presidential inauguration
In his opinion, the Government “is aware of its weakness” and understands “the implications of the collapse of tyranny” in Syria, where President Bashar al Asad fell exactly a week ago due to an offensive by an insurgent coalition, after decades of a “regime of strength that sowed terror in the people,” Machado said.
“However, in a matter of days, that regime fell apart, it fell because it was hollow inside, isolated internationally, (…) and because many things were happening under the table without anyone noticing, but, above all, it fell because the vast majority of the population did not want them,” he said.
In Venezuela, Machado continued, we are “one step away from that long-awaited change,” so he called on citizens to be alert to “the signs” and to prepare “the heart, mind and body to do what needs to be done at the right time.”
“We have never been so close to the final triumph and that there is nothing that is impossible for those who put their heart, mind, will in that goal that we have set ourselves, and that is what we have shown,” he added.
Both Maduro and González Urrutia assure that they will take office as president on January 10.
Although Maduro’s re-election has received criticism from the international community, mainly for the lack of evidence to confirm his triumph at the polls, all the institutions of the Caribbean country – including the Armed Forces – support the Chavista leader and see the PUD as coup plotters who intend to take power by force.
International
Macron meets Machado, stresses need for democratic transition in Venezuela
Emmanuel Macron met on Monday at the Élysée Palace with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, where they discussed the importance of advancing a democratic transition in Venezuela.
In a message shared on social media, Macron highlighted Machado’s commitment to freedom and stressed the need to achieve a transition that is peaceful and respects the will of the Venezuelan people.
“I received María Corina Machado, Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Together, we discussed her commitment to freedom and the importance of achieving a democratic, peaceful transition in Venezuela that respects the will of its people,” he wrote.
For her part, Machado expressed her “deep gratitude” to Macron and to France for their support of democracy and freedom in Venezuela.
“We have gone through a long and painful journey, and we are now very close to freedom. Venezuela will become a nation of free and equal men and women—prosperous, safe, and united,” she said.
International
Trump says Iran seeks new talks after failed negotiations in Pakistan
Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran has reached out to United States to resume negotiations, following the collapse of recent talks held in Islamabad.
“We’ve been contacted by the other side,” Trump told reporters, adding that Iran is eager to reach a deal “at all costs.” Speaking from the Oval Office, he reiterated that his main objective is to prevent the Islamic Republic from acquiring nuclear weapons and warned that he will not allow Iran to “blackmail” the international community.
After negotiations between Washington and Tehran ended without agreement on Sunday, Trump announced that the U.S. would move to block the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil trade.
The waterway had already been disrupted by Iran in response to a U.S. and Israeli offensive launched on February 28, causing significant shocks to the global economy.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump further warned that any Iranian vessel attempting to bypass the U.S. naval blockade in the strait would be “eliminated immediately.”
The renewed tensions have pushed oil prices higher, while global stock markets have reacted negatively to the lack of an agreement in Islamabad.
International
Trump orders U.S. control of Strait of Hormuz after failed Iran talks
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the United States will take control of the Strait of Hormuz“effective immediately,” following the collapse of negotiations with Iran held in Islamabad.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he had ordered the U.S. Navy to block vessels attempting to enter or exit the strategic waterway, a key route for global energy trade.
“The meeting went well, agreement was reached on most points, but the only really important one — nuclear weapons — was not approved,” Trump said, referring to the talks with Iranian representatives.
The president also stated that he had instructed authorities to intercept ships in international waters that had paid tolls to Iran to transit the strait, calling such payments “illegal.” He further accused Tehran of hindering an agreement by deploying mines in the area, describing the move as “international extortion.”
Trump added that the United States will undertake efforts to clear mines from the strait and expressed confidence that a future agreement ensuring free navigation could eventually be reached.
The announcement came after Vice President JD Vance and special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner briefed the president on the outcome of the negotiations, considered the highest-level contacts between the two countries since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
While Trump acknowledged that enough progress had been made to maintain a temporary truce, he criticized Iran for remaining unwilling to abandon its nuclear ambitions, calling its position “very inflexible” on the central issue.
Macron meets Machado, stresses need for democratic transition in Venezuela
Trump says Iran seeks new talks after failed negotiations in Pakistan
Arévalo calls for ‘rescue’ of Guatemala’s Prosecutor’s Office amid leadership change
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