As part of his thanks, Machado made reference to the management of US President Donald Trump for opening the “gate to freedom” of his country with the capture of Nicolás Maduro on January 3. In his statements he stated that thanks to this capture, new actions were triggered in favor of rescuing democracy in Venezuela.
“I want to thank the President of the United States, Donald Trump, the Government of the United States and the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, because thanks to their vision and their courage and their action on January 3, this floodgate to freedom has been opened,” Machado said.
In addition, he assured that his return to the country aims to “mobilize society” in the face of presidential elections expected next year, although there is still no clear date.
“The deadlines have become clearer. The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has proposed a sequence of events in order to move towards a democratic transition that makes clear the holding of presidential elections in 2027,” he explained.
Likewise, he affirmed that his leadership has never turned to violence. Despite the repression, harassment and direct attacks of the regime, “our struggle has always been peaceful, they have provoked us. Our weapon has been the truth and our strength has been love,” he reaffirmed.
In this sense, he reiterated that “The democratic transition is irreversible” referring to the citizen clamor that Venezuelans “have a society that has matured.”
The freedom of political prisoners
In her words, the democratic leader referred to political prisoners and reiterated that “in Venezuela there will be reparation for political prisoners.”
Prior to this appearance, he also visited the areas affected by the earthquakes in Vargas state as part of an agenda aimed at consolidating a national agreement. It is expected that during his speech today he will establish a position on the current political panorama under the management of Delcy Rodríguez and present the next logistical steps in demanding an electoral schedule.
Dialogue table
Machado also referred to the dialogues between a sector of the opposition and the interim government that began in August under the auspices of the United States.
“We are not part of this table and what follows. As we warned at the time, not only do we not hinder, but we are very interested in its success and that it fulfills its mission,” he stated.
The leader stressed that these negotiations must finalize the appointment of a new Supreme Court of Justice, as well as the renewal of the National Electoral Council.
oil deal
The opposition leader questioned the transparency of the agreement signed in August between the interim government and the Trump administration that granted the United States management of 65 billion barrels of Venezuela’s oil reserves, equivalent to 20% of the total.
“This agreement does not reflect the levels of transparency that Venezuelan society wants,” said Machado.
The agreement has not been officially disclosed, although the United States media leaked it a few weeks ago.
It is operated by the company North American Blue Energy Partners (Nabep), headed by Alejandro Betancourt, a businessman accused of alleged opaque businesses during the governments of Hugo Chávez (1999-2013) and Nicolás Maduro (2013-2026).
“In relation to the Nabeb company and this contract about which there has been a lot of speculation, I do not know the contract, I do not know it, I have not seen it. I believe that no Venezuelan, at least in this auditorium, has done so,” said Machado.
“And if something is good for Venezuela, but it is also good for our allies, it is a system of absolute transparency, in which Venezuelans can know every last letter of all the agreements that are carried out in our country,” he added.
Reception at UCAB
The rector of the Andrés Bello Catholic University, Arturo Peraza, SJ received María Corina Machado, a graduate of this university, and recognized her “effort to build democracy.”
“You are part of this process and of what this university has believed, believes and will continue to believe. Thank you very much for coming to your house,” said the rector at the entrance to his office.
Student representatives from the university welcomed the leader and presented her with a plaque of recognition and a rosary on behalf of the students.
“You should never have been outside. No one can tell you where you can or cannot be because this is your country. We know that all this has not been in vain and now it will be much better,” said Isabella Noy, a university counselor. “This will always be your home and you will always be welcome,” added Santiago Rangel, also a university counselor.
Machado, an industrial engineer who graduated from UCAB in 1990, asked the students to prepare to “serve the country not only with the best academic training like the one they receive at this university, but, above all, with values.”
“We must thank God every day for having been born in Venezuela, for being Venezuelans in this unique moment and, the #ucabistas, for having had the fortune to be trained in this institution. We have an even greater responsibility towards the country.”
After this meeting, María Corina Machado toured the campus, where hundreds of people, including students and other members of the university community, greeted her and accompanied her to the institution’s Aula Magna, where the leader met with national and international media for a press conference.
