A new meeting with the president of the United States, donald trump (March 7), another more recent one with Secretary of State Marco Rubio (March 31), meetings with influential figures such as Republican Senator Rick Scott. A mass event in Santiago de Chile, (inauguration of the new president Jose Kast, March 12) and another in Houston, Texas (March 25), where he demonstrated the popular support he still enjoys. This is how March passed for opposition leader María Corina Machado in exile.
The top leader of Vente Venezuela begins April, 90 days after the events of January 3, with a call for the Creole diaspora in MadridSpain, for April 18. The objective, according to your campaign command: the reunion, the hugs, the renewal of hope, energy, strength and “the desire to return” to the country, once democracy was conquered.
The Nobel Peace Prize 2025, say analysts consulted, seeks not only to remain current at a time when the guidelines in Venezuela are dictated by the US government with the cooperation of the interim, but also to promote new presidential elections with guarantees and the promise that Venezuelans abroad will be able to vote unlike July 28, 2024.
But also, they say, a message is sent to Trump: leadership still standssupported by the masses and must have participation in a democratic transition for Venezuela. An indefinite stay of Delcy Rodríguez in Miraflores is not viable, not even for the economy.
The great mobilizer
“Although Trump praises Delcy Rodríguez for attracting investors to Venezuela, his officials constantly ratify the route: stabilization, recovery and transition. Calm the country first and then go to elections. Machado is aware of the situationthey have talked about it. The US assumed control of the country to ensure that it does not fall back into the Nicolás Maduro era and it is a process that takes some time. María Corina has understood this and also knows that in order not to end up in prison upon her return, she must align herself with Washington’s agenda and coordinate,” says political analyst José Vicente Carrasquero.
In her opinion, the former representative does what she is supposed to do abroad and takes advantage of the mass events to send a message not only to the diaspora or to the internal Venezuela, but to Trump himself and the international community that it continues to enjoy great popular support, that it continues to be the great mobilizer.
“It reminds international public opinion that Delcy Rodríguez is as much a dictator as Maduro and co-responsible for the country’s situation. The ruler in charge has done nothing to overcome the crisis, she only cooperates with the US. Internally the noise continues with the repressive apparatus, it is difficult for the interim to manage to shake off the past and reverse her negative image to displace Machado,” he stressed.
Machado announced the precise date of the meeting with the diaspora in Madrid this April 7, through a video published on her account on the social network Edmundo Gonzalezto whom she expressed happiness for being able to hug him again on April 18, in simultaneous video. He did not give precise details of the agenda, only inviting Venezuelan migrants to attend with their families.
A meeting between Machado and the Government of Spain is not planned, but the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Spanish Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, stated that Pedro Sánchez’s administration would have “no problem” in meeting with the Venezuelan opposition leader.
Inside, the national coordinator of Vente Venezuela, Henry Alviárez, called on the well-known “comanditos” who worked for the electoral victory of Edmundo González, on July 28, 2024, to reactivate themselves, prepare for new elections, press for the renewal of the Electoral Power and even present proposals for a change of government.
“She is also supervised”
For political scientist Luis Remiro, although the US was always counted on as an “ally” of political change in Venezuela and its active support was sought, the “guardianship” from the White House also affects Machado in his goal that the rescue of democracy occurs as soon as possible.
From his point of view, Machado still lacks the search and concretion of a great national agreement that includes opposition sectors that do not share the strategy, but the goal is: for Chavismo to leave Miraflores through elections.
Machado has mentioned this point, but the political scientist considers that he still does so in a “timid” manner, which is why every day that passes plays against, he warned, the achievement of unity of the democratic forces in Venezuela and in favor of an indefinite stabilization of the interim.
“Today we are also experiencing the consequences of the opposition having completely ceded the strategy in Venezuela to The US that gives priority to its agenda economic and energy and security interests, promoting investments to offset the conflict in the Middle East. When meeting with María Corina (Trump and Rubio) they only communicate the plans, the agenda for Venezuela and she agrees, so she also seems protected by the Trump administration,” observes Remiro.
He points out that although the massive events keep popular support in his favor in the foreground, as the days and three months of Maduro’s capture pass, people, inside and outside the country, will demand a clearer route to rescue democracy, beyond waiting for the decisions of the Trump administration.
“He assures that he will soon return to Venezuela, but when and what? To generate real change or is it something symbolic? It is not clear,” Remiro asks.
To date, Remiro also warns, Venezuelans feel that little has changed in Venezuela after the January 3 bombing. The union movement along with active and retired workers have not stopped taking to the streets to demand wage demands, new elections and the freedom of all political prisoners.
Push for a new CNE
Machado’s visit to Madrid is also perceived as an act of vindication of the figure of Edmundo González Urrutia, who according to the minutes released by the Command with Venezuela defeated Maduro with 67% of the vote out of 30% in the 2024 elections.
González Urrutia accompanies the call to Madrid with enthusiasm, according to statements. He has also defended Machado’s “coordination” with the US, regarding the last meeting with Marco Rubio.
But the figure of the former diplomat as elected president is diluted. It was not possible for him to return to the country and be sworn in. On the one hand, the US does not recognize the July 28 elections “because they were not free” and, on the other, Machado has turned the page in his statements. He does not stop remembering that feat, but has called to prepare for new votes that equal or exceed the avalanche of votes for political change.
Carrasquero and Remiro agree that there is little chance that the elections, whether presidential or general, will take place in 2026. It is not the priority of the US, they admit. There are also no signs so far of renewal of the National Electoral Council (CNE) from the National Assembly (AN).
“On July 28, there was electoral fraud, which was proven. Those results are not going to be recomposed because the CNE wanted it that way and because the US does not recognize those elections either. I see it as very difficult for a new presidential election to be held or together with the AN this year because there are no signs of changing to the CNE“You cannot go to elections with Elvis Amoroso, but in any case the opposition’s strategy must first pressure for independent CNE rectors to be elected,” says Carrasquero.
He gave as an example the “slowness” in the selection of the attorney general and the ombudsman in the AN, as a sign that Chavismo still resists the changes necessary to begin a transition towards democracy in Venezuela. The US, he reiterated, gives priority to the economic issue, to the point of keeping Diosdado Hair free and in the position of Minister of the Interior and Justice because it is convenient for the “internal order”, which translates into keeping the armed groups affected by Chavismo “controlled”.
For Remiro, it would be a mistake to forget the electoral mobilization of July 28 out of respect for the victims of the repression that led to almost 2,000 arrests during the protests against the electoral results of July 29 and 30. In this sense, it suggests not to “sacrifice” publicly the figure of González Urrutia.
Consider that political will is what will determine the date of the elections. He recalled that the elections are not convenient for Delcy Rodríguez’s interim administration, he is playing to undermine Machado’s leadership and that over time an alternative figure will emerge with whom he can compete in elections with less disadvantage in terms of popular support.
“The elections will be when the US feels that it can do without Chavismo and risk the stability of Venezuela for a competitive electoral process,” says Remiro.
