Maria Corina Machado, 2025 Nobel Peace Prize: “I don’t care about labels” | EUROtoday

Being the eldest of a family of four girls, I first followed in the footsteps of my father, Henrique Machado Zuloaga, a great engineer and entrepreneur, former manager of the steel producer Sivensa. Politics was a dark transaction for me. I would have preferred to be an astronaut rather than a politician. In this sense, I was wrong. Politics makes it possible to change people’s lives.

Hugo Chavez demonstrated that she could destroy and subjugate a country by dividing it racially, religiously, economically and ideologically. He showed that it is possible to weaken Latin America’s most stable democracy with the largest oil reserves on the planet. I, who thought that democracy was a heritage, realized that the exercise of citizenship implies the permanent defense of freedom.

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Yes, I had simply had one little one and was pregnant with my second when my mom requested me to go go to a government-run heart for deserted kids. The horrible actuality that I found modified my life. I created a basis to develop a brand new efficient public-private administration mannequin to take care of the nation’s most weak kids and promote their reintegration. I created an NGO referred to as Súmate (“join me”).

Chavismo leaves a rustic destroyed and in debt.

At that point, Hugo Chavez’s insurance policies generated deep social tensions inside the nation. In 2004, the inspiration referred to as a recall referendum which we misplaced. Without realizing it, I had entered politics. In 2010, I ran with my social gathering Vente Venezuela (“Come Venezuela”) within the legislative elections and I used to be elected deputy with 85% of the votes.

Thanks to my skilled background, from trade to humanitarian work, I stay very pragmatic. I’m liberal. I imagine in work, effort and autonomy. Today, our political alliance has succeeded in uniting the nation. The overwhelming majority of Venezuelans voted for us within the July 2024 presidential election [environ 70 % des votants, sachant que les exilés, majoritairement opposés à Maduro, n’ont pas pu voter, NDLR].

What evaluation do you make of twenty-five years of Chavismo?

Hugo Chavez wasted the best alternative in Venezuelan historical past. He managed all of the organs of political energy and the technique of communication. He had all the cash on the earth. When he got here to energy via the polls in 1999, the value of a barrel of crude oil was 8 {dollars}. It will go as much as 150 {dollars}. Realize what he may have finished with these billions and billions of {dollars}. Chavism sadly leaves a rustic destroyed and in debt. Extreme poverty impacts 60% of the inhabitants. A 3rd of Venezuelans have fled overseas. We have been the richest nation in Latin America. Today we’re as poor as Haiti. It’s worse than if we had skilled struggle.

With Nicolas Maduro clinging to energy, the state of affairs doesn’t appear prone to change…

Faced with this problem, Venezuela wants France and the European Union. They should act to defend democratic values. It isn’t just in regards to the destiny of Venezuela, however about democracy in Latin America. The catastrophe of Chavism should be a lesson for France and Europe. What occurred to us can occur to you. We used to assume: “Venezuela will not be Cuba. We have a democratic historical past and a strong center class. »

Maduro’s worldwide alliance is considerably weakened.

Look on the state of affairs immediately: now we have 2,000 political prisoners. More than in Russia! The Venezuelan instance is the textbook case of a society confronting corrupt politicians and troopers, the Mexican cartels, the Colombian guerrillas, Iran, Hezbollah, Cuba, who coordinate to assist a dictatorial system. Venezuela is a ahead base in Latin America for destabilizing Western democracies. We should not neglect the alliance of Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro with Iran and with Bashar al-Assad’s Syria.

Is the autumn of Bashar al-Assad excellent news for the Venezuelan opposition?

This is a large blow to the Nicolas Maduro regime. A couple of days earlier than, specialists assured that the Syrian regime was nonetheless highly effective. However, the circle of loyalty to al-Assad rapidly fractured. Russia and Iran haven’t lifted a finger to assist him. Maduro now fears being the subsequent dictator to fall. Who nonetheless helps him immediately? On the worldwide degree, he solely has Cuba and Nicaragua left, since we now know that neither Putin, nor China, nor Hezbollah, nor Iran will act for him. Turkey and Brazil have began to distance themselves.

The state of affairs will change! It’s a matter of days.

In Latin America, there’s a coalition in favor of democracy starting from Gabriel Boric to Javier Milei. This proves that that is neither a left nor a proper challenge. Maduro’s worldwide alliance is considerably weakened. The nation is bankrupt as a result of they stole all the things and the oil large PDVSA is on the verge of chapter. Pressure from the worldwide neighborhood, notably the United States and the European Union, is important. Furthermore, contained in the nation, the complete base of what made up Chavismo is with us. Including the armed forces.

Really ? Part of the military nonetheless stands alongside Maduro and, after the repression that adopted the elections, individuals are afraid to exhibit within the streets…

Repression is utilized by army and paramilitary teams. With a part of the judicial energy, these are the final ramparts of Nicolas Maduro. We would by no means have been capable of get better the minutes within the voting facilities in the course of the presidential election with out the complicity of the troopers who disobeyed the regime’s orders. Nicolas Maduro misplaced all legitimacy on July 28. Everyone is aware of that he was largely crushed by Edmundo Gonzalez.

In addition, his coverage of repression has generated huge rejection amongst Venezuelans. He is now being prosecuted for crimes towards humanity by the International Criminal Court. The state of affairs will change! It’s a matter of days. I’m satisfied that this may have a cheerful ending. It would not matter what day or time it’s. We have already defeated the Maduro regime spiritually, politically and electorally.

What will occur on January 10 when the subsequent presidential time period begins?

If we lived in a democracy, I’d reply you that Edmundo Gonzalez will take the oath earlier than the National Assembly, as supplied for within the Constitution. Unfortunately, we face a prison system, it’s inconceivable to know if will probably be that day or one other. Make no mistake: it’s Maduro who’s going through the wall with this January 10 deadline. Not us! Until then, he has the potential of negotiating a peaceable transition below good situations. If he decides to cling to energy, lock himself in a repressive regime, every day that passes will probably be tougher for him, as a result of inner strain and strain from the worldwide neighborhood.

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The regime may be very involved about this appointment, as are these of Christopher Landau as Deputy Secretary of State of the United States and Michael Waltz as National Security Advisor of the United States. These are three males with in depth data of Latin America and the threats posed by Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua within the area.

If you come to energy, what will probably be your authorities’s priorities?

To Discover



Kangaroo of the day

My precedence is to construct inclusive, efficient and clear establishments. My life has been swimming towards the tide: I’m a lady, divorced, a liberal, coming from a wealthy household. We will rework Venezuela from a prison “hub” of the Americas into an vitality hub, because of our hydrocarbons and our renewable energies. We have immense reserves of contemporary water, the eleventh largest on the earth, which may be harnessed to supply hydroelectric energy and the solar to supply solar energy.

Find all of the episodes of our collection “The Hell of Caracas”:
1. Petare, the Venezuelan slum that now not needs Maduro
2. The harmful connections of the French far left with the dictator Nicolas Maduro
3. How Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro squandered Venezuela’s oil treasure
4. Venezuela, greatest pal of Bashar al-Assad and Iran towards Israel
5. “Maduro fears he will be the next to fall after Assad”
6. “Nicolas Maduro has sequestered Venezuelan democracy”