Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has intensified her calls for international support to pressure President Nicolás Maduro to resign, specifically urging recognition of her faction's candidate as the rightful winner of the disputed July 28 election. She emphasized that without external pressure, negotiations would be ineffective, recalling the significant impact of past U.S. sanctions under Donald Trump's administration. Following the electoral commission's announcement of Maduro's victory—without credible vote tallies—the opposition claims that their candidate, Edmundo González, won by a 2-to-1 margin. Protests erupted across Venezuela after the election results, leading to violent clashes with law enforcement. Machado has also requested increased involvement from the U.S. government to help mediate the crisis, amid ongoing discussions of sanctions against Venezuelan officials. Her comments come as Venezuela grapples with a deepening economic crisis and escalating political tensions.