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The Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado urged Venezuelans this Saturday to rise up “against a criminal regime that is on its way out” and called on the country's military to put down their weapons and join the people: “what is going to happen is already happening,” she assured.
His message, on his X (formerly Twitter) account, comes hours after the statements from U.S. President Donald Trump, who claimed to have made a decision regarding potential military actions against the government of Nicolás Maduro.
"Dear Venezuelans, the roar of this land demanding freedom is growing and resonating inside and outside the country. Thirty million of us are rising up against a criminal regime that is on its way out, a regime that holds our heroes, the political prisoners, and an entire country hostage," is heard in the audio posted by Machado.
Machado particularly appealed to the country’s civil and military officials, urging them to “lay down their arms and join the people” in this critical moment that —as he stated— “is already approaching.”
“Lay down your arms. Do not attack your people. Make the decision today to support the freedom of Venezuela. What is going to happen is already happening. That decisive hour is imminent. History, the law, and the Venezuelan people will be your judges. Be part of the bright future of Venezuela and not of the ruin that tyranny has destroyed,” urged Machado.
He also mentioned the case of engineer Lewis Mendoza, kidnapped in the state of Trujillo, whose daughter was seen shouting a heartbreaking call for her father: “Those cries of pain will never leave you,” the opposition leader added, referring to the suffering of the regime's victims.
The statement from the opposition leader comes a day after President Trump declared to the press: “I’ve made my decision. I can’t tell you what it will be”, when asked about potential military actions against Venezuela.
The U.S. president has held meetings this week with high-ranking officials from the Pentagon, including the Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine.
According to reports from the Washington Post, various military options were discussed during the meetings as part of the operation “Lanza del Sur” (Southern Spear), which aims to combat drug trafficking from Latin America.
Since August, the United States has strengthened its deployment in the Caribbean with nearly 10,000 soldiers and the presence of the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, which has been interpreted as a sign of direct pressure on Maduro's regime.
In her message, the opposition figure appealed directly to the members of the Armed Forces, whom she described as "the worst hostages of the regime," forced to carry out infamous orders against their own people.
"No one needs a path to redemption more than those who are forced to carry out this barbarity, those who follow orders while ruining the lives of their brothers. They feel guilt. They cannot look into the eyes of their children or their mothers," he emphasized.
The leader concluded her message with a call for hope and action: “When the time comes, go out to embrace the people, your people. We know very well how and when to take that step. Be a hero, not a criminal. Join us. Venezuela and your brothers are waiting for you.”
Machado's words are interpreted as a call for civic-military rebellion against the regime, at a time of increasing international pressure on Caracas and with the possibility of a U.S.-led military intervention on the horizon.
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