After meeting with President Biden Edmundo Gonzalez, who won Venezuela’s presidential election, traveled to Argentina and Panama with votes at the White House on Monday to prove that he, and not Nicolás Maduro, is Venezuela’s democratically elected leader.

Venezuela’s top opposition leader, Maria Colina Machado, told Fox News: “We overwhelmingly elected a good man, Edmundo Gonzalez. We have evidence of victory, and the whole world Know this.” “We won.”

Maduro is due to take office on Friday. Venezuela’s opposition has called for massive street protests to peacefully demand that Maduro, whose mafia-style authoritarian leadership has nearly bankrupted the oil-rich country, not take office.

Two Americans arrested in Venezuela on ‘terrorism’ charges ahead of Maduro’s inauguration

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a press conference at Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, July 31, 2024. Maduro said María Collina Machado and Edmundo Gonzalez should face at least 30 years in prison for inciting post-election violence and seeking asylum to destabilize his government. (Gaby Ora/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“What we need is for all U.S. institutions to understand that Venezuela is the most important conflict in the Western Hemisphere for U.S. national security,” Machado said via Zoom from his safe house in Venezuela.

“First, we can be America’s best ally in the Americas because we also desperately want to solve this problem migrate problems in our region. We want these Venezuelans to voluntarily return billions of dollars. This will happen when they see that their country has a future. “

Machado had the following message for President-elect Donald Trump: “Venezuela has tremendous energy potential that will never be exploited… We will move Venezuela from crime center The energy hub of the Americas and has established a strong partnership with the United States. “

Gonzalez, Venezuela’s elected president in July, also met in Washington with incoming national security adviser Con Michael Walz of Florida. Maduro warned Gonzalez that he would be arrested if he returned to Venezuela.

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Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado shows off vote tallies during protests against President Nicolás Maduro’s re-election, a month after she said the opposition was in trouble in Venezuela Caracas held a disputed presidential election, which was won by a landslide. 2024. (AP Photo/Christian Hernandez)

“I want you to know how important this is to the security of the American people as well,” Machado explained. “Resolving this conflict in Venezuela, I believe what happens in Venezuela in the next few days depends not only on democracy, the future of our democracy, but It also depends on the future of democracy in the region.”

Machado says the fall of Assad’s regime Syria It’s a cautionary tale for those who still support Maduro’s military and judiciary. The regime surrounded her family’s home with a secret police force, sent a drone over her mother’s house and on Tuesday kidnapped President-elect Gonzalez’s brother-in-law.

“Maduro has lost everything except fear and repression. Maduro has lost all popular support, all legitimacy, and even he is weakened or isolated internationally. What is left for him? Russia, Iran, Hezbollah, asked Machado, a former member of the Venezuelan National Assembly. .

Venezuela’s Supreme Court has barred opposition leader Maria Corina Machado from running in the country’s presidential election. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

A day after Gonzalez met with President Joe Biden at the White House, the Maduro regime also arrested two Americans, accusing them of being mercenaries sent by the U.S. government.

The U.S. State Department issued the following statement: “We are concerned about reports that U.S. citizens have been detained in Venezuela. We are working to gather more information. Due to privacy and other considerations, we have no further comment on these cases. Any assertion that the U.S. is involved The plot to overthrow Maduro is absolutely wrong and the United States continues to support a democratic solution to Venezuela’s political crisis.”

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The State Department spokesperson went on to warn U.S. citizens not to travel to Venezuela because “Maduro and his associates have demonstrated in the past that they may detain and imprison U.S. citizens entering Venezuela without justification or due process.”