Trump Wounds Venezuela’s Chavismo, Bolsters Opposition Leader

Venezuela’s Opposition Leader Maria Corina Machado Declares Regime “Chavismo” Wounded

Maria Corina Machado, Venezuelan opposition leader, has declared that the regime known as “Chavismo,” which held Venezuela under Hugo Chavez and his successor Nicolas Maduro for a quarter of a century, is “wounded irreparably and being dismantled.”

This statement was made in Houston, Texas, where she attended the CERAWeek global energy forum. Machado believes that when presidential elections are held again in Venezuela, she will participate “in that electoral process,” though she did not specify whether she would run.

She was banned from running for president in 2024 after Maduro claimed a reelection victory and repression forced her into hiding for over a year. She has remained in the United States for most of her exile.

In January, Machado met with US President Donald Trump at the White House and presented him with her Nobel Peace Prize. Despite Trump’s proposal to “get her involved” in Venezuela’s political process, he has backed interim leader Delcy Rodriguez as well.

Machado said that Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have proposed a three-stage transition in Venezuela, including clean, free elections that will produce legitimate authorities.

Despite the political uncertainty, Machado believes now is the right time to invest in Venezuela, which has the world’s largest oil reserves. She cited its competitive production costs and location “in the heart of the Americas.”

What was lacking until now – the institutional framework and security conditions for long-term investments – is being built, she said.

“The opening of the oil sector, as we’re proposing it, has never been seen in the country,” Machado stated. That is, going 100 percent private, where the state assumes a regulatory role and incentivizes, promotes, and protects foreign investment.”