Venezuela faces ‘difficult road ahead,’ Florida lawmakers say

(The Center Square) – The capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro drew praise from congressional Republican lawmakers in Florida, which has a significant Venezuelan population. But they also acknowledged the path forward remains unclear.

At a Monday press conference in south Florida, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott and Rep. Carlos Giménez said it will take time and effort to transition Venezuela into a democratic government. And they expressed support for its new leadership to include María Corina Machado, the exiled opposition leader who put together a winning presidential bid in 2024 but has not won over President Donald Trump.

Trump, who has said the U.S. will “run” Venezuela for now, accepted Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s vice president, as its interim leader. She was sworn in on Monday and reiterated her support for Maduro, who appeared in a Manhattan courtroom to plead not guilty to drug trafficking and other federal charges.

Giménez predicted “a difficult road ahead,” pointing to “a need to safeguard a number of political prisoners” wh...