Enrique Márquez, the opponent of Chavismo that Trump promotes for the transition in Venezuela

The retaliated Chavismo politician, who managed to leave his cell in El Helicoide just five days after the capture of Nicolas Maduroentered the Capitol this Tuesday when Trump invoked him. Inside he was reunited with his niece, Alejandra Gonzálezwho occupied a seat in the guest gallery.

“She grew up in a very close-knit Venezuelan family and was especially close to her beloved uncle Enrique. Alejandra, I am pleased to inform you that your uncle has not only been released, but is also here tonight,” Trump announced a second before the two merged into a long and heartfelt hug.

“Alejandra feared never to see her uncle again. She also feared for her previous life. But since the operation [para capturar a Maduro]”We have worked with the new leaders, who have ordered the closure of that vile prison and have freed hundreds of political prisoners,” the White House tenant boasted, referring to The Helicoidthe mammoth prison of Caracas where the reprisals of Chavismo languished—and still languish.

Under pressure from the White House, the Government of Delcy Rodriguez has approved the release of more than 400 political prisoners, according to the count of the NGO Penal Forum, which however warns that there are still hundreds to be released. The regime, now without Maduro, also promoted a vaporous amnesty law that, according to human rights organizations, falls far short of acceptable standards.

Márquez’s presence in Washington shook the opposition, led by the Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado and the veteran diplomat Edmundo González Urrutiaupset by the good harmony that the White House and Delcy have exhibited in public since Maduro’s capture.

Washington, however, is already thinking about accelerating the transition in Venezuela. This is what emerges from the words spoken this Wednesday by the Secretary of State, Marco Rubioduring a meeting held in Baseterre, the capital of Saint Kitts and Nevis, with members of CARICOM, an organization made up of twenty Caribbean countries.

“So that [los venezolanos] They can take the next step and truly develop that country, and for the wealth of that country to truly benefit its people, they will need the legitimacy of democratic elections; fair, democratic,” declared Rubio, architect of Washington’s foreign policy in Latin America.

After his appearance on Tuesday at the Capitol, the name of Enrique Márquez enters the pools to play a key role in that transition designed by the White House. This Wednesday, in addition, the former Venezuelan representative dropped by the White House. “I am here giving thanks, I never imagined being here less than two months after being released from prison, it is the truth,” he noted in a recorded statement.

“It seems that they want to reinforce their leadership as an alternative figure who could be a different presidential candidate than María Corina Machado in possible upcoming elections,” the Venezuelan sociologist emphasizes in conversation with this newspaper. Rafael Uzcateguiwho considers that his invitation is a message addressed to the opposition.

“An alternative hypothesis is that Márquez, given that he has electoral experience, is summoned to reorganize the National Electoral Council,” Uzcátegui slips. “But it’s clear they’re positioning it for something.”

The diplomat Help Onerwho served in the Turkish Embassy in Caracas, agrees: “From my perspective, this seems like a strategic decision. Trump invited Enrique, although María Corina Machado was also available to attend.”

“I’m not sure if the invitation has a specific symbolic meaning,” Oner acknowledges, “but it suggests that the Trump Administration may be seeking to expand the number of political actors involved in Venezuela’s future.”

The Turkish diplomat considers that “by involving figures beyond Machado, the Trump Administration may be trying to reduce polarization and open space for a more inclusive political process. In that sense, inviting Enrique instead of María Corina may reflect an effort to diversify representation within the opposition and lay the foundations for a more stable and negotiated transition.”

Who is Enrique Márquez

Born 62 years ago in Maracaibo, Enrique Márquez presented his candidacy under the acronym of the Centered party in the last presidential elections of July 28, 2024. An election whose results Maduro manipulated through his bishops in the National Electoral Council (CNE) and the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) to perpetuate himself in power.

Márquez was the only opposition political leader tolerated by Chavismo who raised his voice. The former deputy of the National Assembly publicly questioned Maduro’s victory, and asked for the minutes of the elections that Chavismo never presented. His defiance of the regime’s leadership led to his arrest in January 2025.

“Enrique Márquez was the candidate of the independent left in 2024,” explains Uzcátegui. “Although he comes from Chavismo, at that time he added a lot to the democratic cause. He is a person of principles and who is committed to changes within the existing institutions. He took the minutes to the TSJ and that is why he was arrested.”

“We are committed to Venezuela, willing to work together and tolerantly, in a country where all of us, without exception, are necessary and we must work together to achieve the desired change for ALL,” Márquez wrote on social networks after announcing that he had received the invitation from the White House to continue the debate on the state of the Union.

The invitation of the prominent opponent was not Trump’s only gesture toward the Venezuelan opposition. The Republican president also took advantage of the occasion to award the non-commissioned officer with the Medal of Honor. Eric Sloverthe pilot of the CH-47 Chinook helicopter who participated decisively in the operation to capture Maduro and his wife, Cilia Floresand that he was wounded by a gunshot.