Maduro opponent Machado vows to return to Venezuela, wants election

January 6, 2026 4:20 PM

Maduro opponent Machado vows to return to Venezuela, wants election

Venezuela's main opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has vowed to return home quickly, praising U.S. President Donald Trump for toppling her enemy Nicolas Maduro and declaring her movement ready to win a free election. "I'm planning to go back to Venezuela as soon as possible," said Machado, 58, a lawyer and mother-of-three who escaped from Venezuela in disguise in October to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, which she dedicated to Trump. "We believe that this transition should move forward," ...

Column of smoke seen, loud noises heard in Venezuelan capital

January 3, 2026 12:56 PM

Column of smoke seen, loud noises heard in Venezuelan capital

Airplanes and loud noises could be heard and a column of smoke was visible in Caracas early on Saturday, Reuters witnesses said, while power was out in the south of the Venezuelan capital, near a major military base. The cause and precise locations of the disturbances were not immediately clear. Videos circulating on social media showed multiple explosions across Caracas. Reuters could not immediately verify the videos. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly promised land operations in Ven...