New Delhi, Jan. 3 -- Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said President Nicolas Maduro was removed from power after refusing a negotiated exit, and called for opposition-backed candidate Edmundo Gonzalez to assume the presidency.

In a statement posted on X on Saturday, Machado said Maduro rejected efforts to negotiate a transition, leading to his removal.

"Maduro was removed from power after refusing a negotiated exit," Machado said, without providing further details on the process that led to his removal.

Machado said that Edmundo Gonzalez, whom the opposition, the United States and international observers say won Venezuela's 2024 presidential election, should immediately assume office.

She reaffirmed the opposition's p...