María Corina Machado gathers a crowd in Madrid and talks about the ‘return home’ of the Venezuelan diaspora

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado participates in a demonstration with Venezuelan supporters in Madrid. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado gathered thousands of supporters this Saturday (18) at Puerta del Sol, in Madrid, and stated that Venezuelans living outside the country must prepare for “the day of reunion and reconstruction” of Venezuela. In a speech to the diaspora, Machado adopted a tone of mobilization and return. “Here we are starting to return home,” he told the crowd, who chanted calls for elections. The demonstration was the highlight of the opponent’s visit to Spain and marked a meeting with Venezuelans who live abroad after years without her leaving the country. The leader of the Venezuelan opposition, Maria Corina Machado, speaks during a demonstration with Venezuelan supporters, during her visit to Spain REUTERS/Isabel Infantes See the videos that are trending on g1 Speech aims at reconstruction after decades of Chavismo In the speech, the opposition leader stated that the years under Chavismo represented a preparation for a new political moment. According to her, the Venezuelans who emigrated took advantage of the period abroad to work, settle down and organize themselves for their eventual return. Machado mentioned the “27 years” of Chavismo —a period that encompasses the governments of Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro— and said that this cycle prepared the country for a phase of reconstruction. “Everything we did during these long 27 years was to prepare for a moment of reunion and construction of a nation that will be free forever”, he stated. Supporters participate in a rally with the leader of the Venezuelan opposition, Maria Corina Machado, during her visit to Spain, in Madrid REUTERS/Isabel Infantes Spain is home to one of the largest Venezuelan communities The choice of Madrid for the event also has symbolic weight. Spain is one of the main destinations for the Venezuelan diaspora, with around 700,000 citizens of the country living in Spanish territory. Among those present, the atmosphere was one of expectation of a return. Venezuelan Dayanna Padrino, 37, who has lived in Spain for two years, stated that the process of returning to the country “is already irreversible”. According to her, there is hope of rebuilding Venezuela and recovering pre-crisis living conditions. “I think we have very little left out there,” he said. The leader of the Venezuelan opposition, Maria Corina Machado, participates in a rally with Venezuelan supporters during her visit to Spain REUTERS/Isabel Infantes Machado says she does not regret her gesture towards Trump During the trip, Machado also participated in a press conference, in which she defended her decision to present her Nobel Peace Prize to the President of the United States, Donald Trump. She said she did not regret the gesture and said that the republican was the only world leader who, according to her, put citizens of his own country at risk in the name of Venezuela’s freedom. Machado also reinforced that he maintains dialogue with Washington and classified the United States as a “fundamental” piece to advance a democratic transition in the country. The leader of the Venezuelan opposition, Maria Corina Machado, participates in a rally with Venezuelan supporters during her visit to Spain REUTERS/Isabel Infantes Return to Venezuela is coordinated with Washington The opposition stated that she is discussing her return to Venezuela in coordination with the American government. According to her, the process is being conducted with “mutual respect and understanding” and is part of a broader effort to reorganize the Venezuelan political landscape. The leader of the Venezuelan opposition, María Corina Machado, hugs children during a demonstration with Venezuelan supporters, during her visit to Spain REUTERS/Isabel Infantes Criticism of Petro and rejection of the proposal for a joint government Machado also criticized the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, who proposed the formation of a concentration government in Venezuela between interim president Delcy Rodríguez and the opposition. For the Venezuelan leader, the proposal represents an attempt to prevent the progress of the electoral process. She stated that there are international actors who, previously, defended participation in elections considered irregular, but now resist holding new elections. Machado also made direct criticisms of the current interim government, stating that Delcy Rodríguez and her group represent “chaos”, “violence” and “terror”. Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado participates in a demonstration with Venezuelan supporters in Madrid. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes Political tension marks the agenda in Spain The visit to Spain was also marked by political tensions. Machado refused a meeting with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, claiming that the meeting would not be appropriate given the holding of a summit of progressive leaders in Barcelona. Sánchez had made himself available to receive her and defended that the future of Venezuela be decided democratically and without external interference. The opponent, on the other hand, maintained an agenda with allies on the Spanish right, including the regional leader of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, one of the main critics of the Spanish government. *With Reuters and AFP. VIDEO shows rescue of María Corina Machado at sea in secret operation to receive Nobel Prize

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