South Americaupdated 1h ago2 min read
Venezuelan Opposition Presents Grand National Agreement, Reaffirms María Corina Machado as Leader
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Opposition reaffirms Maria Corina Machado as leader of the Unified Platform (PUD). They presented a Grand National Agreement outlining a path to democratic transition and reconstruction.
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Machado reaffirmed as leader
Venezuelan opposition parties presented a “Grand National Agreement” in Caracas on Sunday that reaffirmed exiled Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado as their leader, increasing pressure on interim authorities to allow her return. Machado, who was living in Panama and participated virtually, said, “We are now going to move forward with one of the initiatives that I consider the most powerful, most potent and most necessary, and that will be recognized around the world: our great agreement for rebuilding the republic,” as the coalition backed a roadmap for general elections without setting a date.
The opposition’s Unitary Democratic Platform agreed to “recognize and support the leadership of Maria Corina Machado,” according to the text of their agreement presented after meetings in Caracas. The announcement came as a third round of political transition talks proceeded between an opposition faction and the interim government, after the US ouster of longtime leader Nicolas Maduro in January, with Delcy Rodriguez governing under intense pressure from Washington.
Demands for elections
The opposition coalition renewed its demand for free elections in Venezuela and included 14 proposals for a democratic transition, including freedom for political parties, the release of all political prisoners, and the safe return of those who went into exile. Edmundo Gonzalez wrote on social media, “The will of the Venezuelans must once again govern the destiny of our nation,” supporting the proposals that the coalition said would increase pressure on authorities to allow Machado’s return.
Machado told The Financial Times she would like to see Venezuela hold elections by July next year, and she said, “The US government and the Venezuelan people all agree that the only way to make this sustainable and a real victory is to turn Venezuela into a stable democracy,”. The opposition’s Vente Venezuela pushed for elections in 2027 and an electoral calendar, while the agreement itself did not set a date for the vote and said the negotiations should lead to an electoral process.
Return blocked, talks continue
Venezuelan authorities blocked Machado’s repeated attempts to return, and her party, Vente Venezuela, said she has tried at least seven times to return home but has been blocked by Venezuelan authorities. Machado again thanked Donald Trump for capturing Maduro in a U.S. intervention on January 3, saying, “I have always been grateful to the president of the United States for opening a door to progress toward freedom, democracy and true sovereignty,” while the opposition said the process had Washington’s backing.
The opposition’s Democratic Unified Platform presented the agreement in Caracas while a third round of talks between the Rodriguez government and an opposition sector continued, and the negotiations involved members of the 2015 National Assembly rather than including Machado. Dinorah Figuera, the opposition delegation leader in talks with the interim government, said Friday she was working to ensure that the negotiations lead to elections, as the US State Department praised the talks as producing “tangible reforms in civil liberties and political rights, laying the groundwork for credible elections and a democratic transition.”