Venezuela Opposition Coalition Reaffirms Support for Maria Corina Machado as Leader

Venezuela's opposition coalition has reaffirmed its commitment to Maria Corina Machado, the exiled Nobel Peace Prize laureate, as it continues to back her leadership.

At a meeting in Caracas on Sunday, members of the Unitary Democratic Platform (PUD), the opposition alliance, agreed to "recognize and support the leadership of Maria Corina Machado."

The coalition also restated its demand for free elections in Venezuela, following disputed presidential votes in 2024 and 2018.

Sunday's declaration set out 14 proposals for a democratic transition, including guaranteeing political parties their freedom, releasing all political prisoners and ensuring that those forced into exile can return safely.

The announcement also raises pressure on Venezuelan authorities to allow Machado to return. She has lived in exile since leaving Venezuela last December to receive the Nobel Prize.

"The will of Venezuelans must once again decide the fate of our country," former opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez wrote on social media in support of the proposals.

"We will not accept political prisoners, repression or a government that disregards the mandate of its citizens. To live in freedom and under a genuine constitutional order is the legitimate demand of our society."

No election date set

Venezuela has still not announced a date for a new presidential election. Since January 3, the country has been led by interim President Delcy Rodriguez of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), which has held power for years.

PSUV leaders have been accused of human rights violations against dissidents, including arbitrary arrests, detention and torture.

Nevertheless, after the United States launched a military operation to capture and detain former President Nicolas Maduro, the PSUV has kept power with the backing of the White House.

U.S. President Donald Trump has endorsed Rodriguez's leadership, even though she previously served as Maduro's vice president.

Trump's administration remains active in Venezuela, exerting influence over the country's oil resources and pressing Rodriguez's government to reform.

Critics note, however, that Trump has been cautious about pushing Rodriguez to hold new elections, opting instead for a three-phase plan that first focuses on stabilizing the country and reviving the economy before pursuing political transition.

Machado, meanwhile, told the Financial Times that she wants Venezuela to hold elections before July next year.

"Both the U.S. government and the Venezuelan people agree that the only way to make this sustainable and a real victory is to turn Venezuela into a stable democracy," she told the newspaper earlier this month.

Return efforts blocked

According to her party, Vente Venezuela, Venezuelan authorities have repeatedly blocked Machado's attempts to return home.

Machado is also reported to have sought support from Trump's administration for a return to Venezuela.

Earlier, in January, during a visit to Washington, she gave Trump her Nobel Peace Prize. Media reports, however, indicate tensions between Trump's administration and Machado.

In interviews with Reuters and Axios, unnamed U.S. administration officials expressed displeasure at the opposition leader's repeated efforts to return home, particularly after two deadly earthquakes in Venezuela last July.

Axios quoted one official describing Machado's move as a "political opportunity."

Despite this, Machado remains one of the most prominent figures in Venezuela's opposition.

In October 2023, Machado won the opposition coalition's presidential primary, but in January 2024 Venezuelan courts barred her from running in the upcoming race.

The court upheld a 15-year ban on her holding public office, reportedly tied to her support for U.S. sanctions targeting Maduro's government.

In the end, Gonzalez replaced Machado as the opposition candidate in the 2024 race. Maduro claimed victory to enter a third presidential term in that election cycle, despite widespread criticism that the vote failed to meet democratic standards.

The opposition published tally sheets that appeared to show Gonzalez had won the race.

The United States recognized Gonzalez as the country's legitimate president-elect and rejected the legitimacy of Maduro's victory claims.

Earlier, Machado was removed from the National Assembly in 2014 over her anti-government activism.

A third round of talks between Rodriguez's government and the opposition began in Venezuela this month.

However, instead of including Machado, the talks only involve members of the 2015 National Assembly, a body led by the opposition that was dissolved under Maduro.

Still, in a statement this month, the U.S. State Department praised the talks as beneficial to the Venezuelan government's reform efforts.

"Political reconciliation talks between Venezuela's interim government and representatives of the 2015 National Assembly are producing concrete reforms on civil and political freedoms, laying the groundwork for credible elections and a democratic transition," the State Department said.