María Corina Machado Thanks King Felipe VI, Accuses Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez Of Abandoning Venezuelans

María Corina Machado publicly thanked King Felipe VI for what she described as his "very, very clear" support after meeting him in Santiago de Chile, portraying the monarch as an "image and a symbol of unity" for Spain and Ibero-America and praising his words in support of Venezuelans in exile.

“Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado this afternoon thanked King Felipe VI for the "very, very clear" support he gave her, with whom she met yesterday, while criticizing Pedro Sánchez's government for its lack of "leadership" in the fight against the Caracas regime and asking the new president of Chile, José Antonio Kast, to protect her compatriots”

El Mundo

El Mundo reports that Machado "thanked King Felipe VI for the 'very, very clear' support he gave her, with whom she met yesterday," and quotes her saying the King "has been an image and a symbol of unity, not only in Spain but also in Ibero-America. And his words of support for the struggle of the people of Venezuela are something we appreciate, even in these last weeks. I think it is a very, very clear message."

El Mundo

ESdiario likewise notes her acknowledgement of external support while contrasting it with the Spanish government's stance, describing her disappointment with Sánchez's administration even as she singled out the King’s backing.

Machado sharply criticized Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's coalition government for what she calls a lack of leadership and an insufficient stance toward the Caracas regime, saying Spain had failed to live up to its historical role as a bridge between Europe and Latin America.

ESdiario records that Machado "did not hide her frustration with what she deems an insufficient attitude by Sánchez's government" and quoted her saying "Spain has been the fundamental link with Latin America in Europe... she had expected 'leadership' from the Spanish government on this issue that, in her words, 'has not been forthcoming.'"

ESdiario

El Mundo similarly relays Machado's statement: "We would have hoped that [Spain] would have had the leadership on this matter and we regret that it was not so," and that "decisive hours" will force governments to choose "whether to be on the side of crime or on the side of justice, on the side of tyranny or on the side of the people of Venezuela."

While criticizing Sánchez, Machado deliberately differentiated between the Spanish state and its citizens, praising the Spanish people’s solidarity with Venezuelans in exile and using her Santiago itinerary — which included a large central meeting of Venezuelans — to press regional leaders such as Chile's José Antonio Kast for protection and support.

“Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado this afternoon thanked King Felipe VI for the "very, very clear" support he gave her, with whom she met yesterday, while criticizing Pedro Sánchez's government for its lack of "leadership" in the fight against the Caracas regime and asking the new president of Chile, José Antonio Kast, to protect her compatriots”

El Mundo

El Mundo notes she "has several appointments today, including a massive meeting in the city center with Venezuelans in exile" and that she asked Chilean president José Antonio Kast "to protect her compatriots."

ESdiario records that Machado "distinguished between the Spanish government and the Spanish people, stressing that Spain's citizens have shown they share the same ideals of 'a prosperous, free and democratic nation' that the Venezuelan people defend," indicating she aimed to preserve popular ties while reproaching official policy.

On Venezuela’s prospects, Machado expressed optimism about a democratic transition while avoiding precise timetables; she highlighted the growth of mass demonstrations and the opposition’s electoral planning through Vente Venezuela, and she invoked the U.S. action of January 3 as a turning point.

ESdiario reports she said Venezuela is going through "decisive hours" and that through the "Vente Venezuela" platform they are "already working toward a future electoral process," while praising recent popular demonstrations as "unthinkable" two months earlier.

ESdiario

El Mundo records her optimism: "Venezuela will be free. It is not a little bit of fictitious freedom; it is full democracy, full freedom, full justice," and quotes her highlighting the "extraction" of Nicolás Maduro by the United States on January 3 as evidence of international pressure: "On January 3 we saw how the force of international justice was applied to a criminal organization (...). The only nation in the world that has risked the lives of its citizens for the freedom of Venezuela has been the United States."

ESdiario also notes she avoided giving concrete timelines and recalled being disqualified by the judiciary yet retaining the trust of those who voted for her in the October 2023 primaries.