María Corina Machado released a sweeping letter to the Venezuelan people early Saturday, declaring that “the time for freedom has come” following the overnight capture of authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife in a U.S. operation.

Machado, the long-time opposition figure who has spent much of the past year in hiding, said Maduro will now “face international justice for the atrocious crimes committed against Venezuelans and against citizens of many other nations.” Her letter was posted on X just hours after news of the capture broke.

“The time for freedom has come!” Machado wrote, framing the moment as the culmination of years of resistance. Machado was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her leadership in Venezuela’s democracy movement.

It remained unclear Saturday whether Machado was in Venezuela. She escaped to Norway last month in a secret mission after intensifying threats from the Maduro government. In a mid-December interview with CBS News, Machado said she was “absolutely” supportive of escalating pressure from Donald Trump and his administration, adding that she welcomed “more and more pressure so that Maduro understands that he has to go.”

In her letter, Machado said the United States had followed through on its promise to enforce the law after Maduro refused a negotiated exit. She framed his capture as the opening act of a broader democratic transition.

“The time has come for popular sovereignty and national sovereignty to prevail in our country,” she wrote. “We are going to restore order, release the political prisoners, build an exceptional country, and bring our children back home.”

Machado called on Venezuelans to remain organized and vigilant as power shifts, invoking the disputed June 28 election in which the opposition declared victory for Edmundo González Urrutia, whom she described as the legitimate president. She demanded that the armed forces immediately recognize González as commander-in-chief and honor the opposition’s mandate.

“This is the hour of the citizens,” Machado wrote. “Those of us who risked everything for democracy.”

Her message extended beyond Venezuela’s borders. Machado urged Venezuelans abroad to mobilize governments and civil society worldwide in support of rebuilding the country, while instructing those inside Venezuela to prepare for further guidance through official channels.

“In these crucial hours, receive all my strength, my confidence, and my affection,” she wrote. “Venezuela will be free.”