María Corina Machado Urges Venezuelan Military to Defend July 28 Mandate as Cabello Cites U.S. Support for Maduro and Oil Tanker Seizure

María Corina Machado, a prominent Venezuelan opposition figure, has called on the Venezuelan National Armed Forces (FANB) to defend the mandate of the July 28 elections and to take a clear stance against the current regime, which she describes as criminal and destabilizing. She accused the military of failing to properly use the weapons entrusted to them by the Republic and warned that the regime will fall, with history judging and justice being served. Machado urged the FANB to choose between submission or taking action to save themselves. Meanwhile, Diosdado Cabello, a leading figure in the ruling party, claimed that U.S. advisors to former President Donald Trump support reaching an understanding with President Nicolás Maduro's government. Cabello also dismissed Machado's role, stating that the U.S. does not view her as a key or coherent actor for political change in Venezuela and accused the U.S. of planning to seize a Venezuelan oil tanker after it loads crude oil. Human rights concerns persist, with reports from Tamara Suju, executive director of the Casla Institute, indicating that two to three people are detained daily in Venezuela. Opposition leader Andrés Velásquez highlighted the case of Enrique Márquez, a political prisoner detained after requesting electoral records. Edmundo González Urrutia emphasized the need for justice without revenge for Venezuela's future.