Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has announced plans to run for the presidency of Venezuela again and return to the country by the end of 2026. She made this statement during a meeting of opposition politicians in Panama, as reported by the Associated Press and UNN.
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The statement comes more than four months after U.S. President Donald Trump's administration effectively withdrew its support for Machado and began cooperating with Delcy Rodríguez, a representative of Venezuela's ruling party, following the removal of Nicolás Maduro from power.
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Machado has been in exile since December of last year. Prior to that, she spent nearly a year in hiding within Venezuela. In Panama City, the politician stated that the opposition continues to push for "free and fair presidential elections" in which all citizens of the country can participate.
Machado declared readiness for elections
According to Machado, organizing democratic elections in Venezuela would require seven to nine months. She emphasized the need to update the voter registry, establish independent electoral bodies, and ensure guarantees for opposition candidates to participate without government interference.
"I will be a candidate, but of course, there may be others. I would be happy to compete with anyone in a flawless election,"
In 2024, the Maduro government barred Machado from participating in the presidential election, after which the opposition nominated diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia. Despite the official declaration of Maduro's victory, Machado's team maintained that González won the election by a landslide.
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