Venezuela, María Corina Machado: ‘Cartels are in power, not allies of the regime’

A few hours before the elections, the opponent harshly attacks the regime: ‘It is not a government, it is a criminal structure that threatens the entire hemisphere’

Just hours before regional, parliamentary and legislative council elections in Venezuela, opposition leader María Corina Machado launched a harsh attack on Nicolás Maduro’s regime, describing the arrest of her close associate Juan Pablo Guanipa as “an act of state terrorism”.

Interviewed by the Argentinean portal Infobae, Machado spoke openly of a criminal system of power, claiming that Venezuela “is no longer governed by a legitimate executive, but by drug trafficking cartels”. According to him, the country has become the operational centre of a regional destabilisation strategy, which includes drug trafficking, alliances with Iran and Hezbollah, and the use of migration as a “geopolitical weapon”.

‘Maduro’s dictatorship,“ said Machado, ‘does not ally itself with the cartels: it is the cartels that rule,” arguing that it is a threat to the security of the entire hemisphere.

The opposition leader then reiterated the importance of the role of the United States and other international actors in confronting the authoritarian and criminal drift of the regime: “We need a strong, multilateral response against a structure that has now taken root far beyond Venezuela’s borders”.

Guanipa’s arrest is only the latest in a long series of intimidations and repressions towards opposition figures, while tension is growing in view of the vote, considered by many observers to lack democratic guarantees.

THE LATEST NEWS

• International-News

New Year’s Eve terror plot in North Carolina foiled by the FBI

2 Gennaio 2026

New Year’s Eve terror plot in North Carolina thwarted after the FBI identified a suspect inspired by ISIS The FBI...

Read More

• International-News

Bolsonaro discharged from hospital and returned to prison in Brasilia

2 Gennaio 2026

Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro leaves hospital after three surgeries and returns to custody at the Federal Police headquarters after...

Read More

• International-News

Victoria Jones dead in luxury hotel in San Francisco

2 Gennaio 2026

Victoria Jones dead on New Year’s night: the 34-year-old daughter of Oscar-winning actor Tommy Lee Jones was found lifeless in...

Read More

• International-News

Will Smith sexual assault lawsuit filed in Los Angeles

2 Gennaio 2026

Will Smith sexual assault lawsuit emerges after allegations by violinist Brian King Joseph following the 2025 tour Will Smith sexual...

Read More

• International-News

Iran protests spread nationwide as deaths reported, tensions rise after Trump comments

2 Gennaio 2026

Iran protests intensify following the collapse of the rial, with multiple deaths reported during clashes. U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks...

Read More

• International-News

Maduro Trump call: Venezuelan president confirms November phone conversation

2 Gennaio 2026

Nicolás Maduro says the exchange with Donald Trump lasted ten minutes and signals openness to dialogue on oil, drug trafficking...

Read More

(Photo: © AndKronos)