Venezuelan opposition blindsided by Trump, waiting it outListen to this articleVenezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has been snubbed by Donald TrumpCARACAS - Its leaders in exile and frozen out by US President Donald Trump, its supporters too scared to claim the streets: Venezuela's opposition finds itself in limbo despite the weekend ouster of authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro. Analysts and insiders say Venezuela's opposition, led by Maria Corina Machado, lacks the organized structures and expertise needed for governing, and crucially, the support of the military. The United States supported successive opposition claims to election victory, by Juan Guaido in 2018 and Gonzalez Urrutia in 2024. Yet with Maduro finally out, Trump turned not to Machado or Gonzalez Urrutia, but to the deposed leader's cronies. And unless they too are deposed, there is little hope of the opposition running Venezuelan institutions in any meaningful way.

Source: Bangkok Post January 08, 2026 07:35 UTC