Venezuela does not have a clearly functioning national leader right now; Nicolás Maduro has been captured by U.S. forces, and there is an unresolved struggle over who will head a transitional government.

What just happened?

  • Nicolás Maduro, who had been president since 2013, was seized in a U.S. military operation and flown out of Venezuela, leaving a sudden power vacuum at the top of the state.
  • U.S. President Donald Trump has said that the United States will effectively “run” Venezuela on a temporary basis until a “safe, proper and judicious transition” can be arranged.

Who is being put forward as leader?

  • Opposition figure María Corina Machado has publicly called for Edmundo González Urrutia, the opposition candidate widely viewed by international observers as the legitimate winner of the disputed 2024 election, to be recognized as president and assume command of the government and armed forces.
  • Analysts cited in recent reports suggest Machado and González could head a transitional government, reflecting the fact that no single civilian authority has yet clearly consolidated control nationwide.

Why is there confusion over leadership?

  • Maduro’s 2024 reelection was denounced as fraudulent by much of the Venezuelan opposition and many foreign governments, which instead recognized González as the rightful winner, deepening the divide between de facto and claimed authority even before Maduro’s capture.
  • With Maduro removed, there is now a three‑way tension between:
    • Venezuelan opposition leaders (pushing González as legitimate president),
    • remnants of Maduro’s regime still inside the country,
    • and U.S. authorities temporarily overseeing key state functions.

Quick Scoop: Bottom line

  • The last sitting president was Nicolás Maduro , but he is no longer in control of the country after being captured by U.S. forces.
  • Opposition and international actors increasingly treat Edmundo González Urrutia as Venezuela’s legitimate civilian leader, yet he has not fully taken office on the ground, while the U.S. has announced a temporary governing role pending a transition.

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