Venezuela is in a highly unusual situation: Nicolás Maduro has been removed from power after his capture by U.S. forces, and the country is now in a contested transition in which the U.S. government says it will temporarily run Venezuela while parts of the Venezuelan opposition push for Edmundo González Urrutia to be recognized as the legitimate president.

Who is “running” Venezuela right now?

  • Nicolás Maduro, who had ruled Venezuela since 2013, is no longer exercising power after being captured and flown out of the country in a U.S. military operation announced on January 2–3, 2026.
  • U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly declared that the United States will “run the country” on a temporary basis until there is a “safe, proper and judicious transition,” effectively placing Venezuela under de facto external control, at least from the U.S. perspective.
  • Venezuelan opposition figures, particularly María Corina Machado, are calling for opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia—recognized by the U.S. and several observers as the legitimate winner of the disputed 2024 election—to assume power over the government and the armed forces.

In practice, this means no single actor has universally recognized authority: Washington claims temporary control, the formal Venezuelan state apparatus has lost its president, and the opposition is trying to assert constitutional legitimacy.

Key players you should know

  • Nicolás Maduro
    • President of Venezuela from 2013 until his removal following the U.S. operation in early 2026.
* His 2024 reelection was widely denounced as fraudulent by opposition groups and many international observers, with the U.S. recognizing Edmundo González as the actual winner.
  • Donald Trump / U.S. government
    • Trump has said Venezuelan military capabilities were neutralized and that Maduro and his wife were captured and flown out of the country.
* He has stated that the U.S. will administer Venezuela temporarily until a transition can be organized, a move drawing strong international criticism and fears of a quasi-occupation.
  • María Corina Machado
    • Longtime opposition leader and vocal critic of Maduro, recently awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her role in the pro-democracy movement.
* After Maduro’s capture, she released a statement saying “the time for freedom has come” and urged recognition of Edmundo González as president and commander-in-chief.
  • Edmundo González Urrutia
    • Opposition candidate in the July 2024 presidential election, recognized by the U.S. as the legitimate winner after widespread allegations that Maduro’s government stole the vote.
* Opposition leaders and some foreign governments see him as the rightful constitutional leader who should head any transitional government, but he does not yet appear to exercise clear, on-the-ground control over state institutions.

What this looks like on the ground

  • Venezuela is effectively leaderless in the formal sense: the sitting president has been captured, and there has been no orderly constitutional transfer of power recognized by both domestic institutions and the international community.
  • The U.S. asserts it is temporarily in charge, but this claim’s practical reach will depend on cooperation (or resistance) from Venezuelan military units, local authorities, and civil society.
  • The opposition is trying to convert its international legitimacy into real authority by rallying support behind González and leveraging Machado’s profile and network.

How forums and public debate are reacting

  • Online forums and political subreddits have been debating Venezuela for years, often portraying it as a case study in sanctions, authoritarianism, and foreign intervention, with deep ideological splits about whether Maduro’s fall is liberation or imperial overreach.
  • With the latest developments, discussions have intensified around:
    • Whether U.S. “running” Venezuela is a temporary stabilizing move or a dangerous precedent.
    • Whether a transitional government led by González and backed by Machado can avoid chaos and civil conflict.
    • How the 2024 disputed election and years of sanctions set the stage for this moment.

Quick timeline for context

  1. 2013–2023: Maduro rules Venezuela amid economic collapse, sanctions, and repeated accusations of authoritarianism and electoral manipulation.
  1. July 28, 2024: Controversial presidential election; Maduro declared winner domestically, but many observers and the U.S. say Edmundo González actually won.
  1. Late 2024–2025: Intensifying international pressure; the opposition gains visibility, and María Corina Machado receives the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, boosting global support for the democratic movement.
  1. Early January 2026: U.S. military operation captures Maduro; Trump announces the U.S. will temporarily run Venezuela and calls for a future transition, while the opposition pushes to install González as president.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.