“I’m still in shock.”
Just over 24 “crazy hours” have passed since receiving the Nobel Peace Prize and María Corina Machado is still shaken. From her hiding place, a condition that did not prevent her from continuing to confront the tyranny of Nicolás Maduro over the last year, the Venezuelan opposition leader spoke with Infobae amid her busy schedule.
As she clarified on Friday, the leader of Vente Venezuela asserted that the award transcends the personal and belongs to every single Venezuelan who has suffered the oppression of the Chavista regime for more than two decades:"It is a recognition of the millions and millions of Venezuelans who for twenty-six years have risked their freedom and their lives." She said that, after receiving the shocking news, she thought of those"who died along the way," those who were murdered, those"who were forced to leave their country," and those "who are now imprisoned or in hiding."
He also considered that the Nobel Prize "is a monumental boost to the Venezuelan cause at a crucial moment."
He also recognized the leadership of President Donald Trump, to whom he also dedicated the award and with whom he spoke that same Friday. Machado stated that recognizing the role of the American head of state in promoting peace in Venezuela"is an act of justice."
Amid growing tensions in the Caribbean over U.S. military action against drug trafficking, the Venezuelan leader asserted that Maduro, whom the U.S. justice system accuses of leading the Cartel of the Suns, has only one option:"Accept the terms of a negotiated transition to democracy or leave without negotiation."
Machado reiterated that “Venezuela will soon be free,” and clarified that “the path to peace is freedom, and the path to freedom is strength.”
"The regime declared a war on us that we didn't want, and with the support of the citizens and the support of the world's genuine democrats, we will win it," he concluded.
-María Corina, first of all, congratulations on this recognition. What does this award represent for you, for the Venezuelan cause? And what was the first thing that came to mind when you ended that call we all saw announcing you as the winner?
First of all, this is a monumental boost for the Venezuelan cause at a crucial, decisive moment. I feel it's a recognition of the millions and millions of Venezuelans who for twenty-six years have risked their freedom, their property, their lives, their families. I've been thinking about each and every one of them. Many who died along this path, who were murdered, who were forced to leave their country, who are now imprisoned or in hiding. I've been talking during these crazy hours with some of the family members who have sent me messages, because our heroes have heard. It's about every Venezuelan who hasn't given up, who hasn't remained silent, who when they told us everything was impossible, we said:"We make the impossible possible." It's about those Venezuelans who act with integrity, with nobility, with generosity, with courage, with discipline, with intelligence. I feel so proud to be part of this movement. I am one more, one of millions, and every day I thank God for being here and now.
- Do you think this recognition came at the right time?
The only explanation is this: the hand of God. How can this be such a unique, opportune, and necessary moment? Because it's also been like an injection of confidence, of energy. I think it also gives this struggle enormous significance, because I believe what's happening in Venezuela goes far beyond Venezuelans. We've talked about it many times. In other words, it's setting up a structure that has used Venezuela as the hub, as the center of a mafia-like, criminal, and terrorist dynamic, but the struggle itself is such a civic struggle, so much of the people, that by achieving our goal, which is close at hand, I believe this will be a success for humanity. Where civility triumphs over barbarism, where justice triumphs over crime, where order triumphs over chaos, where good triumphs over evil. So, I believe what we're witnessing is truly a historic dynamic. And I repeat, I feel moved, honored, and incredibly grateful to be part of this enormous movement.
-Yesterday, President Trump mentioned that you spoke and thanked you for dedicating the award to him. Why did you dedicate it to him, and what can we learn from your conversation?
-First of all, I dedicated the award to all Venezuelans—it belongs to all Venezuelans—and to President Trump, for a simple act of justice. Not only because it must be acknowledged that in just a few months of government, very complex conflicts have been prevented or resolved, but above all for the leadership role he plays in resolving the conflict in Venezuela. It is an act of justice, absolutely.
-Since Trump returned to the White House, the United States has doubled the bounty on Maduro, included the Cartel of the Suns on its list of narco-terrorist organizations, and subsequently initiated military action in the Caribbean. How do you view this fight by Washington against drug trafficking, and how does Chavismo view it? From the outside, there's a lot of nervousness and paranoia.
First of all, we Venezuelans have been demanding for years that the world accept that we are not facing just another dictatorship. This is not a conventional, Latin American, hierarchical dictatorship. This is an absolutely criminal dynamic that has been mutating and becoming more complex and more dangerous, not only for Venezuela, but for the entire hemisphere. No one doubts anymore that Venezuela has become the most important channel for drug trafficking, with 24 percent of the world's cocaine, according to the FBI, passing through Venezuela. Some, the regime's accomplices, deny it. That's their narrative, but the evidence is there. No one doubts that the Aragua Train runs from Miraflores, which has committed crimes from Canada to Santiago, Chile. The Chilean government has denounced it before the International Criminal Court, directly implicating Diosdado Cabello. No one doubts that there is a cartel in Venezuela that has not only infiltrated state institutions, as in other countries. They seized the state and are using everything: the ports, the airports, the vehicles, the planes, the customs, the passports... Everything. Venezuela's resources... For what? Obviously, to make more and more money, to expand their activities, but also to destabilize the entire region while torturing and persecuting Venezuelans. And to weaken the democratic institutions of the United States. They have turned Venezuela into a sanctuary where Cuban, Chinese, Iranian, Hezbollah, Hamas, cartel agents, and so on have converged. No one can deny that Venezuela is the hub of crime in the Americas and that it represents a threat to Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Central America, the Caribbean, and the United States. We, from Venezuela, have done everything. We have taken every path. Civic paths of protest, and they have shot at us, tortured us, and murdered us. We win elections, demonstrate our victory, and they commit fraud and remain by force. We've been through them all, from dialogue and negotiations. Maduro makes commitments and breaks them all. In the end, we have to understand that the only thing that weakens a criminal structure is cutting off its sources of funding. You have to cut them off. And what does Chavismo live on today? They have nothing left. They have no people, no legitimacy. Not even the Armed Forces and the police are with them. It's a country where 90 percent of us, including the police and military, want them gone now. But what's left for them? Brutal repression. Finally, we've seen how this approach, applying the law, law enforcement, is what has prevailed. And that's what we've been asking for years. What's the effect? We're already seeing it: the regime is increasingly fractured, divided, betraying each other, ratting each other out, no one trusting the other, and evidently every day more and more people realize that this is over. Maduro has a choice: accept the terms of a negotiated transition to democracy or leave without negotiation. You tell me which one is best for him.
- Is that window still open?
-You can go now, right now, while we're talking.
- Is your departure a done deal? Is it close?
I have no doubt that Venezuela will be free. And obviously, I'm not going to speculate about the days. We Venezuelans have learned to live one day at a time. But I do want to assure you of one thing, because the regime has gone through many stages of denial, of groveling before the United States and other actors while publicly insulting them. Now they're in a phase where the only thing left for them to do is to say that once Maduro leaves, because they already understand that Maduro's departure is inevitable, chaos will ensue in Venezuela. And here we have to stop them in their tracks, both them and their accomplices inside and outside the country. Venezuela is in chaos today. What more chaos can there be in a country where 30 percent of the population is fleeing? Where there isn't even water in the hospitals, where our children only go to public schools two days a week because the teachers aren't paid. Where people have to be kept in their homes by means of torture and terror. Where a teacher is imprisoned because he complains that his salary isn't enough even to get to work. Or they arrest economists for denouncing inflation. What are they talking about? Chaos today. And then they talk about Libya, Afghanistan, the experiences in Iraq... Stop right there. We're talking about a society that I dare say is the most cohesive society in Latin America and, be careful, in the world. In Venezuela, there are no religious problems or differences. We are deeply Christian and Catholic. In Venezuela, there are no racial differences, no differences between regions of the country, no political or social differences. Even today, we are no longer divided into those who are outside and those who are inside. We are all united and want the same thing, and we know what we have to do. And the key to stability in the transition is the people, including the police, the military, and public employees. We have everything ready to do in the first 100 hours and the first 100 days. And we have identified—this is very important—where the groups that will potentially seek to destabilize are. We know where they are, who they are, where they are located, and we know how we are going to approach them and eventually neutralize them.
- A few days ago, you said that if something were to happen to you, the instruction is that freedom is not negotiable. We've all seen constant threats from the regime. However, the general perception is that any action against you would be crossing a red line. How are you experiencing this situation?
I live like all Venezuelans, one day at a time. Of course, I'm fully aware of the risks all Venezuelans face. All of us! I wake up thinking about our political prisoners, I go to bed thinking about those who are hiding like me or suffering so much outside their country, separated from their families. What my children go through every day, my mother, my sisters, my husband... They make up rumors that I've been caught, that I've been captured. These rumors arrive every day; they're very cruel. But at the same time, this has given us strength, especially spiritually. I feel that as a society, we've grown a lot spiritually, and I'm absolutely convinced that Venezuela will soon be free.
-Beyond the recent actions of the United States, in recent months several countries in the region, such as Argentina, Paraguay, Panama, the Dominican Republic, among others, have also included the Cartel of the Suns as a terrorist entity. What is the current coordination with countries in the region in this fight for Venezuela's freedom?
I think something very powerful is happening in Latin America. I know many people tend to be pessimistic; I'm the opposite. I believe that as a society, as a region, we've learned a lot about which ideas work and which don't, and what values make a society rise and prosper. From the monumental failure of socialism, of Chavismo, of crime in Venezuela, and what it caused to our very sad diaspora, because they forced millions to leave everything behind. But it has also served to raise awareness among many Latin Americans and understand that it's a common cause. What's happening in Venezuela has to do with you in Argentina, and what's happening in Bolivia has to do with us in Venezuela. And just as we will liberate Venezuela, we must liberate Cuba and Nicaragua together—and we will liberate them together. I feel there's a group of leaders who have been raising their voices. There was also that in the past, it must be acknowledged, but right now they are great friends of our cause. Of course, Javier Milei, Santiago Peña, Daniel Noboa, President Mulino... These are leaders who have been at the forefront and who have called things by their name, despite the consequences, because you're facing criminal organizations. So, I do feel that this coalition that has been formed, which is operating in the Caribbean, which includes European countries like the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and France, is historic and unique. It also includes Caribbean countries that until now had not expressed themselves so clearly about the importance of the transition to democracy in Venezuela.
- Do you think that once Venezuela achieves its freedom, the same could happen with Cuba and Nicaragua?
It's my absolute commitment to the Cuban people and the Nicaraguan people. This is the same cause. And just as you have supported us, we will stand with you. And I have no doubt that Maduro's departure will send shock waves of freedom and democracy throughout the region.
-Yesterday, we saw that several international leaders congratulated you, but there were also some who omitted it, and others offered criticisms. The president of Mexico, for example, simply responded"without words" when asked for her opinion; Petro criticized a letter in which you asked Netanyahu and Macri for help in 2018. South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who also received the Nobel Peace Prize, once said:"If you are neutral in situations of injustice, then you have chosen the side of the oppressor." First, he asked you what your opinion is regarding the reaction of the leaders I mentioned, and second, do you think they, and many others from the past, will be remembered like this for their silence in the face of crimes against humanity in Venezuela?
Desmond Tutu's expression has never been more timely, because in the end, between oppression and freedom, you can't be in the middle. Between justice and crime, you don't want to be equidistant. Between life and death, you can't be indifferent. So there are only two positions here: either you are with the people of Venezuela, with democracy, with freedom, with human rights and justice, or you are with the Cartel of the Suns, Maduro and company, and global crime. Period. Being indifferent, keeping your mouth shut, ultimately makes you an accomplice. At this moment, I would only tell you that history will relentlessly judge those who did the right thing, those who did the wrong thing, and those who did nothing. And I feel that the people are already judging them.
-The Vatican, through Secretary Pietro Parolin, said it hopes this Nobel Prize will allow Venezuela to"rediscover" the path to democracy. Have you had or do you have contact with Pope Leo or his diplomatic team?
-First, I tell you that democracy is in the DNA of Venezuelans. Generations who grew up in democracy and thought we had it forever, that it came with a bottle, and we learned the hardest lesson. And that is that freedom must be defended every day, and if you lose it, winning it back is very painful, very costly. So that's the first thing. The second is that we want peace, but peace with freedom. We have learned that the path to peace is freedom, and the path to freedom is strength; it is moral strength and spiritual strength, and also physical strength. We must call things by their name. The regime declared a war on us that we did not want. It declared it on us, and with the tools of the citizenry and with the support of the genuine democrats of the world, we will win, we will defeat them, and we will build a nation that will have learned forever the responsibility of every citizen to protect democracy and freedom.
