María Corina Machado is the leader of the Venezuelan opposition.
In 2010, she was elected to the Venezuelan National Assembly with the highest number of votes among all candidates. Her tenure was marked by her vocal opposition to governmental abuses and her advocacy for human rights. In 2013, she co-founded the liberal political party Vente Venezuela.
In 2014, the Maduro regime forcibly removed Machado from the National Assembly and barred her from leaving Venezuela, sparking mass protests. Despite facing threats and restrictions on her freedom, Machado’s resolve remained unshaken and her profile grew.
In October 2023, Machado secured a decisive victory in the Venezuelan opposition primaries, garnering over 92% of the vote. Although subsequently disqualified from running by the regime, her leadership was instrumental in uniting pro-democracy forces, leading to the historic election of Edmundo González as President in July 2024.
In January 2025, Maduro’s long campaign against Machado intensified when his regime kidnapped her at a protest demanding free and fair elections. She was later released from custody following international backlash, yet remains barred from leaving the country.
In 2024, Machado was awarded the prestigious Sakharov Prize alongside President-elect Edmundo González and the 2024 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize by the Council of Europe.
