Corina Machado defends in Madrid the US commitment to a “transition to democracy with free elections”

The Diplomat Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado placed Madrid at the center of her international offensive against the Chavista regime this Saturday, in a day marked by her official agenda, a political clash with the Spanish government, and a key mobilization of the Venezuelan diaspora in the capital. Machado's visit, part of her international tour, combined meetings with Spanish political leaders, an official recognition from the Community of Madrid, and a planned rally in the Puerta del Sol, where thousands of supporters and members of the Venezuelan community gathered from early afternoon to welcome her. After receiving the Gold Medal of the Community of Madrid, Machado appeared on the balcony of the regional government headquarters and was greeted with cheers and shouts of "President!" and "Freedom!" In a press conference prior to the event at the Puerta del Sol, Corina Machado asserted that she maintains “constant communication with the United States” and affirmed that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has made it “very clear” that the final phase of the plan conceived by Washington envisions “a transition to democracy with free elections.” In any case, she insisted on the need to set specific dates because the Venezuelan people “are clamoring for a defined electoral calendar.” Regarding the possibility that Washington might turn its back on her and support Rodríguez and her decision to give her Nobel Peace Prize to US President Donald Trump, Machado asserted that “there is only one leader who has risked the lives of his citizens for Venezuela, and that was Donald Trump; I do not regret giving him my Nobel Prize.” She also affirmed that the guarantee of stability and peace in Venezuela depends on holding “clean and free elections” and warned that her return to the Caribbean country would help ensure that “those who threaten violence will encounter a robust and organized citizens’ movement.” In response to the words of Colombian President Gustavo Petro, in which he proposed a unitary government or a two-year “co-governance” between the current interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, and the opposition as a way to “build trust” in the lead-up to free elections, Machado asserted that “Delcy Rodríguez represents chaos, violence, and terror.” “The criminal regime is still in power in Venezuela; nobody is naive,”s he warned. The interim president, he added, “is following the instructions she receives” because they are fully aware of the consequences of not doing so. Clash with Pedro Sánchez's Government One of the most significant elements of the day was Machado's refusal to meet with the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, a decision that the leader herself justified by citing the holding of a progressive summit in Barcelona. According to her, these types of international initiatives do not contribute to the necessary pressure on the Venezuelan regime, at a moment she considers crucial for a potential political transition. In contrast, Machado has met with the leader of the People's Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, and with the president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, who also awarded her the region's Gold Medal. A critical moment for Venezuela Machado's international offensive is taking place in a particularly complex context. Following the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by the United States at the beginning of the year, effective power in Caracas has fallen into the hands of Vice President Delcy Rodríguez. This scenario has opened a new phase of political uncertainty, marked by contacts between Washington and sectors of Chavismo, which has generated tensions within the opposition itself. In this context, Machado is trying to reinforce her international legitimacy and press for a democratic transition based on free elections, while questioning the “neutrality” of some Latin American governments.

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