Venezuela opposition renews support for Maria Corina Machado as leader
The exiled Nobel laureate has petitioned for new elections in Venezuela and for the country to allow her return.
Key points
- Venezuela's opposition coalition reaffirmed Maria Corina Machado as its leader at a Caracas meeting on Sunday.
- The PUD set out 14 proposals for a democratic transition, including free elections and the release of political prisoners.
- Machado, in exile since December, has said she wants elections held by July next year.
An alliance of Venezuelan opposition parties has renewed its backing for exiled Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado as its leader. Members of the Unitary Democratic Platform (PUD) agreed at a meeting in Caracas on Sunday to recognise and support her leadership, and repeated their call for free elections after contested presidential votes in 2024 and 2018.
The coalition's statement set out 14 proposals for a democratic transition, including freedom for political parties, the release of all political prisoners and the safe return of those in exile. The announcement adds pressure on authorities to let Machado come home; she has lived in exile since leaving Venezuela last December to receive her Nobel Prize.
Support from Gonzalez
Edmundo Gonzalez, the opposition's former presidential candidate, backed the proposals on social media. He wrote that "The will of the Venezuelans must once again govern the destiny of our nation" and said the opposition would not accept political prisoners, persecution or a governing power that disregards the mandate of its citizens.
Venezuela has not set a date for a new presidential vote. Since January 3 the country has been led by interim President Delcy Rodriguez of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV).
The will of the Venezuelans must once again govern the destiny of our nation
— Edmundo Gonzalez
US role and Machado's status
After the United States launched a military operation to abduct and jail former President Nicolas Maduro, the PSUV stayed in power with White House support. US President Donald Trump has backed Rodriguez's leadership, and his administration has taken an active role in Venezuela, controlling its oil resources and pressing the government for reforms. Critics say Trump has been reluctant to push for new elections, favouring a three-phase plan that starts with stabilising the country and economic recovery.
Machado told The Financial Times she would like elections held by July next year. Her party, Vente Venezuela, says authorities have blocked her repeated attempts to return, and she has reportedly sought help from the Trump administration to re-enter. She gave Trump her Nobel Peace Prize in January during a visit to Washington, though media reports have suggested friction between them; Axios quoted an unnamed official calling her push "political opportunism".
Machado won the opposition primary in October 2023, but in January 2024 Venezuela's courts upheld a 15-year ban on her holding public office. Gonzalez replaced her as the 2024 candidate; Maduro claimed a third term despite widespread criticism of the vote, while the opposition released tallies appearing to show Gonzalez won.
