Leonel Fernández to speak on Venezuela this Wednesday

Santo Domingo.- Former Dominican President Leonel Fernández will address the national and international community this Wednesday regarding the evolving political crisis in Venezuela, following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores by U.S. special forces.

The announcement was confirmed Tuesday by the Press Office of the People’s Force (Fuerza del Pueblo), which indicated that details about the time and broadcast platforms for Fernández’s address will be released later today.

Maduro and Flores were detained during a pre-dawn military operation in Caracas, described by U.S. authorities as one of the most complex and precise missions carried out in recent years. After their arrest, both were transferred to a U.S. amphibious vessel and later flown to New York, where they are expected to face federal charges related to drug trafficking and conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States.

The arrest comes more than a year after the July 2024 Venezuelan presidential elections, in which Maduro was declared the winner by the National Electoral Council (CNE) with 51.2% of the vote. The opposition, led by María Corina Machado, rejected the results, alleging fraud and presenting alternative tallies that favored candidate Edmundo González Urrutia. Post-election protests were violently suppressed, leaving dozens dead and thousands detained, according to international human rights organizations.

Fernández participated as an international observer in that electoral process and, along with other figures such as former Colombian President Ernesto Samper, had previously described the vote as peaceful and transparent, noting that Venezuela’s electoral system ranked among the most secure in the region.

The former Dominican president’s decision to speak now comes amid heightened international tension, following the formal filing of charges by the United States against Maduro and Flores. His remarks are expected to clarify his position on the arrests, Venezuela’s political future, and the broader regional implications.