The U.S. has launched a military action against Venezuela, arresting and taking President Maduro and his wife away. In Hong Kong, Mr. Jeffrey Lam, the Member of the Executive Council, stated that it was an unfortunate incident, highlighting the great importance of national security. Although Hong Kong's trade volume with Venezuela is not large, considering the country is a major oil exporter, whose oil prices might easily influence related resource prices in other regions, the rise in oil prices could affect Hong Kong's imports and exports in some ways. Nevertheless, he still held confidence in Hong Kong's future economy. He said that since 2026 is the opening year of the national 15th Five-Year Plan, many related policies would be beneficial to Hong Kong's development. Confident about the steady progress of Hong Kong's economy, he was not overly concerned about the impact of the military action.
The U.S. has launched a military action against Venezuela, arresting and taking President Maduro and his wife away. Photo source: X
Mr. Lam also stated that although international uncertainties have affected the development of other countries and regions in the past years, Hong Kong would still be more robust than other places in the world in terms of economy and people's livelihoods based on its relatively stable economic system, which helps to enhance the city's investment attraction.
Mr. Jeffrey Lam, Photo source: reference image
Mr. Sunny Tan, the Member of the Legislative Council and the Chairman of the Hong Kong Productivity Council, said that the tariff war launched by Trump last year has brought many uncertainties and turmoil to the global business community and economy. Investors and business people are looking for stabilizers to balance risks. In this way, the country's development and Hong Kong's international role are what they would be delighted to see. As for the incident this time, it further confirms that Hong Kong is a very attractive place for stable investments.
PANAMA CITY, Panama (AP) — Venezuela's Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado announced Saturday that she plans to run for president again and intends to return to her home country before the end of 2026.
Machado's remarks, made while meeting in Panama with several fellow Venezuelan opposition leaders, come more than four months after the stunning White House decision to sideline her and instead work with a Venezuelan ruling party loyalist following the U.S. military’s capture of then-President Nicolás Maduro.
Machado has been in exile since December, when she emerged from 11 months in hiding somewhere in Venezuela and traveled to Norway where she was honored with the Nobel Prize.
She told reporters in Panama City that she and the other gathered opposition leaders remain committed to a democratic transition “through free and fair presidential elections, where all Venezuelans inside and outside the country vote.”
Still, it is unclear when Venezuela will hold a presidential election.
U.S. President Donald Trump and senior administration officials have praised Maduro’s successor, acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who has thrown open Venezuela’s oil industry to U.S. investment at a time of surging oil prices tied to the war in Iran.
The Trump administration has also dampened talk of elections, which are required by Venezuela’s constitution within 30 days of the president becoming “permanently unavailable.”
An election with democratic conditions would take between seven and nine months of planning, Machado said. Necessary changes include the appointment of neutral electoral authorities, voting registration updates and the ability of opposition candidates to run for office without government interference.
Machado rose to become Maduro’s strongest opponent in recent years, but his government barred her from running for office in the 2024 presidential election, leading her to choose retired ambassador Edmundo González Urrutia to represent her on the ballot.
Officials loyal to the ruling party declared Maduro the winner mere hours after the polls closed, but Machado’s well-organized campaign collected evidence showing González had defeated Maduro by a margin of more than 2-to-1.
On Saturday, Machado told reporters she would run against any other presidential hopeful in “an impeccable election.”
“I will be a candidate, but there may be others, of course,” she said. “I would love to compete with everyone, with anyone who wants to be a candidate.”
Venezuela's opposition activist Leopoldo Lopez looks at opposition leader Maria Corina Machado during a press conference in Panama City, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Venezuela's opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, center right, speaks during a press conference in Panama City, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Venezuela's opposition activist Leopoldo Lopez, right, looks at opposition leader Maria Corina Machado after a press conference in Panama City, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Venezuela's opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, center, attends a press conference in Panama City, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Venezuela's opposition leader Maria Corina Machado attends a press conference in Panama City, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
