During a news conference, Salazar told reporters Machado proved with “empirical evidence” she won last year’s presidential primary election, despite the government’s declaration of Maduro as the victor. Edmundo González Urrutia replaced Machado after she was banned from running for the presidency by the Maduro-run high court. The U.S. recognized González as the legitimate leader of Venezuela after he defeated Maduro by a more than two-to-one margin. “We know that there is an opposition that has been organized by María Corina and her party, and they are a very legitimate force inside Venezuela,” she continued. And the biggest beneficiary are going to be the people of Venezuela."

Source: Fox News January 03, 2026 19:24 UTC