Machado Rallies in Madrid

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado held a rally at Puerta del Sol square in Madrid on Saturday to revive her push for political change after being sidelined following President Nicolas Maduro's capture. The event drew tens of thousands of protesters, as reported by multiple outlets.

Machado, who won the Nobel Peace Prize, has been unable to return to Venezuela and faces challenges from Donald Trump's backing of Delcy Rodriguez as interim leader in exchange for concessions involving Venezuela's vast oil and mineral resources. She declined a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, citing his hosting of a progressive leaders' summit in Barcelona as proof the meeting was 'not advisable.' According to The Guardian and Reuters, Sanchez said he was nonetheless happy to meet with Machado whenever she wanted.

Machado criticized Rodriguez’s government, saying it represented 'chaos, violence and terror,' and reiterated her belief in the need for democratic elections in Venezuela. She praised Trump for ousting Maduro and trusted Washington’s phased process since his removal. Some 600,000 Venezuelans live in Spain, many fleeing political persecution and economic collapse.

Machado's supporters had hoped she would take power after US troops captured Maduro on January 3rd. However, Trump backed Rodriguez, consolidating her power by purging key Maduro allies from government and attempting to portray herself as a competent technocrat capable of reviving the moribund economy.

Machado has met with world leaders including Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten. Members of Machado's movement have grown increasingly frustrated at being frozen out of their country's political future. She presented her Nobel Peace Prize to Trump earlier this year and expressed no regret in doing so.

In an interview with Reuters, Machado said she expects to be back in Venezuela by the end of 2026 and urged the United States to accelerate plans for elections, warning that delays could lead to civil unrest. She emphasized the importance of updating the electoral roll and selecting new electoral council members within eight or nine months. Machado also criticized Spain's government for not doing enough to challenge the Maduro regime but expressed gratitude for support from other European leaders.

Machado aligned herself with Spain’s main right-wing party, the People’s Party (PP), and met with its leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo, as well as Isabel Diaz Ayuso, the conservative Madrid regional leader. She also met Santiago Abascal, the leader of the far-right Vox party. Despite their shared economic visions, Machado and Feijoo differ on social issues such as abortion.

Machado is a liberal conservative who moved politically to the center-ground during the 2024 presidential campaign to attract voters in the middle ground. She heads a Venezuelan opposition that is split and contains more liberal factions. In contrast, Feijoo leads a well-organized national political party with recent divisions due to the formation of Vox.

Machado's refusal to meet Sanchez was seen by some analysts as a misstep if she aims to be Venezuela’s president next year. Carlos Malamud, an expert on Latin America at the Real Elcano Institute, noted that Machado needs to be prepared to meet with heads of government, regardless of their political affiliation.