Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia on Sunday (January 4) said the recent U.S. intervention in Venezuela has marked a pivotal moment in the country's political history, noting the capture of President Nicolas Maduro, but emphasizing that the road to democratic transition remains incomplete.

The United States attacked Venezuela and captured Maduro in an overnight operation on Saturday (January 3), U.S. President Donald Trump said, promising to put the country under American control for now, including by deploying U.S. forces if necessary.

Gonzalez Urrutia reiterated calls for the unconditional liberation of political prisoners in a video message shared on X. The opposition leader stressed that such measures were essential for Venezuela's democratic rebuilding, adding, "No democratic transition is possible while there is a single Venezuelan unjustly imprisoned."

Gonzalez Urrutia issued a direct appeal to the National Armed Forces and State Security Forces, calling them to "comply with and enforce the sovereign mandate expressed on July 28, 2024", while calling himself "president of Venezuela" and "Commander-in-Chief."

To the disappointment of Venezuela's opposition, Trump has given short shrift to the idea of 58-year-old opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado taking over, saying she lacked support.

Machado was banned from standing in the 2024 election but has said her ally Edmundo Gonzalez, 76, who the opposition and some international observers say overwhelmingly won that vote, has a democratic mandate to take the presidency.

Maduro is in a New York detention center awaiting a Monday court appearance on drug charges. But in Caracas, top officials in Maduro's government, who have called the detentions of Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores a kidnapping, were still in charge.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

1. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER EDMUNDO GONZALEZ URRUTIA SAYING:

"Venezuelans, the events of recent days have marked a turning point in Venezuela's recent history. It is natural that there are mixed feelings, which we understand and respect. This moment is an important step, but it is not enough. The normalization of the country will only be possible when all Venezuelans deprived of their liberty for political reasons, true hostages of a system of persecution, are released and the majority will expressed by the Venezuelan people on July 28 is unambiguously respected. As various political and social actors have already stated, only then can a true process of democratic transition begin in a serious and responsible manner."

2, WHITE FLASH

3. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER EDMUNDO GONZALEZ URRUTIA SAYING:

"Today, the person who seized power is no longer in the country and is facing justice. This fact shapes a new political landscape, but it does not replace the fundamental tasks that still lie ahead. Among them, one is unavoidable: the immediate and unconditional release of political prisoners, civilians and military personnel kidnapped for thinking differently, for demanding their rights, or for fulfilling their constitutional duty. No democratic transition is possible while there is a single Venezuelan unjustly imprisoned. We are a force loyal to Venezuela, loyal to democracy, to the rule of law, and to the dignity of its citizens. As established in Article 5 of the Constitution, our legitimacy comes from the popular mandate and the clear support of millions of Venezuelans who long for a country with peace, institutions, and a future. That support is deep, majority, and sustained, and it will never be betrayed."

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5. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER EDMUNDO GONZALEZ URRUTIA SAYING:

“We are exclusively accountable to Venezuelans and to the sovereign will of the people. That is why we act responsibly, with a sense of statehood and with the conviction that the transition must be built with firmness, respect, and national unity.”

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7. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER EDMUNDO GONZALEZ URRUTIA SAYING:

"Venezuela needs unity to rebuild itself, unity to heal, to rediscover ourselves, and to ensure that power is never again used against its own people. Venezuela needs truth, justice, and reconciliation without impunity."

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9. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER EDMUNDO GONZALEZ URRUTIA SAYING:

"As president of Venezuela, I make a calm and clear appeal to the National Armed Forces and the State Security Forces. Your duty is to comply with and enforce the sovereign mandate expressed on July 28, 2024. As Commander-in-Chief, I remind you that your loyalty is to the Constitution, to the people, and to the Republic."

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9. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER EDMUNDO GONZALEZ URRUTIA SAYING:

"This is a historic moment. We accept it with serenity, clarity, and democratic commitment. The country that lies ahead must be a country of rights, institutions, and hope. And we will build that country together."