Ex-Venezuelan Presidential Candidate Calls for Unity After Prison Release

Former Venezuelan presidential candidate Enrique Márquez, recently freed from prison, is urging his country's political factions to work together following Nicolas Maduro's removal from power. Márquez spent over a year behind bars after challenging the 2024 election results and made a surprise appearance at President Trump's State of the Union address.

CARACAS, Venezuela — A Venezuelan political figure who was imprisoned for more than a year after disputing his country’s 2024 presidential election outcomes is now pushing for cooperation between opposing political forces following the removal of former President Nicolás Maduro from power.

Enrique Márquez made his appeal on Friday, encouraging both opposition groups and the ruling party to set aside their differences and collaborate on rebuilding Venezuela. His message to “lock up egos in a drawer” came after his unexpected presence at U.S. President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech this week. Márquez gained his freedom shortly after American military forces apprehended Maduro in Venezuela’s capital city and transported him to New York to face drug trafficking accusations.

“We have been killing each other in a relentless political war,” Márquez stated during a press conference that resembled a political campaign launch. “If we don’t break the rearview mirror and look ahead, we won’t find our way.”

Márquez competed in the 2024 presidential race, where Venezuela’s National Electoral Council, which supports the ruling party, announced Maduro as the victor despite substantial reliable evidence showing he had been defeated by opposition contender Edmundo González. Márquez disputed the council’s announcement and petitioned the nation’s supreme court to invalidate the presented results.

The former National Electoral Council member was arrested in January 2025. During Friday’s press briefing, he revealed that his initial week in custody involved being handcuffed continuously while facing non-stop questioning. He remained cut off from outside contact for 10 months, with three of those months spent without access to sunlight.

Officials charged him with terrorism, inciting hatred, and treason. He explained that he never went to trial for these fabricated charges, ultimately receiving amnesty when acting President Delcy Rodríguez signed legislation this month permitting such pardons.

Rodríguez assumed the interim presidency after Maduro’s arrest on January 3rd. Márquez praised her decision to advocate for amnesty legislation and restructure Venezuela’s petroleum sector since taking office. He also confirmed he has not communicated with opposition leader María Corina Machado since his release from a detention facility where human rights organizations have extensively documented torture and other mistreatment of prisoners.

When asked about potential future presidential ambitions, he avoided giving direct answers but indicated he doesn’t anticipate elections occurring in the near future.

“My intention is to become a unifying force,” he explained regarding his potential role as a mediator between opposition and ruling party factions. “The role I want to play, and hope to be able to play, is that of a builder, helping to build the future.”