María Corina Machado pens a ‘freedom manifesto’ as plan to force Nicolás Maduro from power remains unclear
Venezuela’s top opposition leader, the Nobel laureate María Corina Machado, has declared her country “at the edge of a new era” as Donald Trump refused to rule out a ground invasion to topple its authoritarian leader, Nicolás Maduro, but also signalled he was open to talks.
Machado, who has lived in hiding since her movement’s candidate was widely believed to have beaten Maduro in last year’s presidential election, made her claim in a “freedom manifesto” that was published on Tuesday as uncertainty continued to shroud the South American country’s future.
“This regime’s long and violent abuse of power is ending. A new Venezuela is emerging from the ashes, renewed in spirit and united in purpose, like a phoenix reborn – fierce, radiant, and unstoppable,” wrote Machado, who claims to have a plan for the first 100 hours and 100 days after Maduro leaves power.
Machado, who has not provided specific details of those plans, claimed a change of regime would protect Venezuela from “future oppressive tyrannies, dictatorships, and despots” and create a country where government opponents could “walk from the shadows without dread”.
