The Face And Fire Of Venezuela’s Opposition

Machado, hailed as “la libertadora” in reference to Venezuelan independence hero Simon “The Liberator” Bolivar, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for his work.

“Is this real? I can’t believe it!” He said the following during a meeting with exiled opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia.

He was barred from challenging Maduro in the July 2024 elections and went into hiding after the vote, which the opposition and much of the international community accused Maduro of theft.

But he remained a tireless defender of democracy on social media, where he regularly posted videos reassuring Venezuelans that change was near.

Dressed in jeans and a white shirt, Machado toured Venezuela last year to campaign for the end of a quarter-century of increasingly repressive Socialist rule.

His stirring speeches inspire quasi-religious fervor in his supporters, many of whom burst into tears at the sight of their brave “savior.”

He won the opposition primary in 2023 with 90 percent of the votes cast, but was immediately declared non-candidate by officials loyal to Maduro.

Machado agreed to stay in the political background and instead campaign for his last-minute replacement: little-known former diplomat Gonzalez Urrutia.

The opposition’s tally of votes from polling stations showed that Gonzalez Urrutia easily defeated Maduro in the election; but the incumbent Socialist candidate was declared the winner, sparking deadly riots that were brutally suppressed.

Gonzalez Urrutia went into exile after a bounty was placed on his head. Machado stayed behind to lead the resistance.

After hiding for months, he briefly resurfaced to address an opposition rally on the eve of Maduro’s inauguration for a third term in January.

“We’re not afraid,” he said before fleeing cloak-and-dagger style on the back of a motorcycle to avoid arrest.

US Attacks –

The Nobel announcement comes at a critical moment in the tense situation between the United States and Venezuela.

President Donald Trump has ordered a major military deployment in the Southern Caribbean, near Venezuela, and given the green light for attacks on suspected drug ships that have killed at least 21 people in recent weeks.

Washington, which recognizes Gonzalez Urrutia as the true leader of Venezuela, accuses Maduro of leading the drug cartel.

Machado supported the US military pressure on Maduro as a “necessary measure” towards a democratic transition in Venezuela.

“Today, more than ever, we rely on President Trump, the people of the United States, the people of Latin America, and the democratic nations of the world as our key allies to achieve freedom and democracy,” he wrote on X on Friday.

– ‘Bring Our Children Home’

Machado, a Caracas-born engineer, entered politics in 2002 as president of the Sumate (Join Us) association and pushed for a referendum to recall Maduro’s mentor, the late socialist leader Hugo Chavez.

He was accused of treason for calling the referendum, and the death threats he received led him to send his two young sons and daughter abroad.

He confronted the fiery Chavez in parliament.

“Expropriation is theft,” he said in 2012, referring to the seizure of hundreds of domestic and foreign businesses.

The woman, who was banned from flying during last year’s election campaign, crossed the country by road wearing a rosary around her neck.

“We will liberate the country and bring our children home,” he said, promising to end Maduro’s rule and with it the severe economic crisis that has driven more than seven million people to flee the once-prosperous oil state.

In October, he and Gonzalez Urrutia were awarded the European Union’s top human rights award for their “fearless defense” of the values ​​of justice, democracy and the rule of law.