María Corina Machado has made a reappearance on social media this Sunday to send a message to all Venezuelans. The opposition figure in exile has assured that she is not participating in the meetings promoted by the Administration of US President Donald Trump, between the opposition bloc and representatives of Chavismo. However, she promises not to be “an obstacle” to any initiative that produces advances in the liberation of political prisoners, the return of exiles, and a future electoral calendar.
“It is not up to us to explain their scope or their decisions,” she indicated, asking those promoting the initiative to inform the country about its objectives, methodology, and calendar. She assured that they would evaluate based on concrete achievements. The leader pointed out the points she considers essential at this moment, such as the recovery of democratic institutions, the liberation of all political prisoners, guarantees for the different political actors, the call for presidential elections, and respect for what she described as the sovereignty expressed at the polls.
Machado had remained silent about this initiative since it was announced, almost by surprise, with the arrival in Venezuela of Dinorah Figuera, president of the 2015 National Assembly, at the beginning of June, after spending several years in exile. As soon as the opposition figure landed in the country, she met with Jorge Rodríguez and they announced that they would begin a path for the re-institutionalization of the country with an agenda that includes the election of a new National Electoral Council, the election of magistrates, and the creation of conditions for new elections.
With this message, Machado distances herself from this negotiating body. This week, Figuera had indicated that the opposition leader had a fundamental role in the process. She was responding in some way to the chorus of opposition figures who have also demanded her presence in the conversations, such as Henrique Capriles Radonski.
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With this maneuver, Washington has given legitimacy to the 2015 National Assembly, which was given recognition during the first Donald Trump Administration as the last authority chosen in competitive elections. But in some way, it has also sidelined Machado, who had claimed her place in a negotiation with Chavismo to reach elections, and who obtained the support of the main parties grouped in the Unitary Democratic Platform during a meeting in Panama held in mid-May. This coalition has also so far avoided making statements about the path that Washington has imposed to initiate the transition in Venezuela and which, after the earthquakes, seems to have accelerated.
The leader reiterated in the statement she signed with Edmundo González that they will return to the country to accompany Venezuelans amid the crisis caused by the earthquakes, although she has not announced a date. Machado noted that the earthquakes of June 24 aggravated a crisis already marked by years of institutional deterioration and lack of state response.
The opposition leader stated that the disaster left “death, destruction, and ruin” in entire communities and maintained that the emergency again exposed the difficulties of Venezuelans in accessing adequate assistance amid the tragedy. Therefore, she emphasized the urgency “of a new government with moral authority and managerial capacity” to face the catastrophe affecting Venezuelans.
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