Why Trump picked Maduro’s VP over Nobel winner Machado after Venezuela Op

Donald Trump stunned the world by capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on January 3, 2026. However, one question that lingers is why the U.S. allowed Maduro’s top aide to assume charge as president instead of backing the opposition candidate. Questions also remain about what Maduro’s allies, Russia and China, will do next to ensure their influence in Venezuela does not diminish. Hindustan Times’ Abhishek Singh speaks to Maria Alejandra Aristeguieta-Alvarez, a Venezuelan diplomat who has served as interim President Juan Guaidó’s representative to the Swiss Confederation and to United Nations–related international organizations in Geneva. She is also a member of the opposition’s international political council, a group of 17 leading international policy experts led by Machado and the 2024 election’s winning presidential candidate, Edmundo González.