Conversation with Venezuelan Democratic Movement Leader María Corina Machado | Global Conference

Strategic Positioning and Threat Assessment

• Maria Corina Machado frames the Maduro regime as a "criminal hub of the Americas" and a direct threat to hemispheric national security.
• She asserts that the regime has invited external actors, specifically listing agents of Iran, Russia, Hezbollah, and Hamas, to operate freely within Venezuela.
• Machado claims the current government allows drug cartels to operate as partners of the state.
• She argues that the regime's isolation and collapse create a unique opportunity for the U.S. to dismantle drug trafficking networks and establish a protective shield for the continent.

Economic Potential and Investment Projections

• Machado estimates a "$1 trillion business opportunity" in Venezuela across sectors beyond oil and gas, including infrastructure, tourism, telecom, and critical minerals.
• She highlights Venezuela's current production of only "a couple hundred thousand barrels a day," contrasting it with the potential to produce "millions of barrels."
• Resource endowments cited include:
  • The world's largest oil reserves.
  • Eighth largest gas resources globally.
  • Fifth largest iron resources.
  • Significant gold and critical mineral deposits.
• She notes Venezuela possesses over two kilometers of Caribbean coast and 311 unexplored islands, positioning the country as only five ship-hours from the U.S. Gulf Coast and three flight hours from Miami.

Political Context and Regime Status

• Machado states that her candidate won the July 28 election by a historic 70% of the vote, though President Maduro claims victory and refuses to cede power.
• She reports that Maduro enjoys "total isolation" internationally, with former supporters like Russia and China unwilling to defend a failing regime.
• Machado describes the Venezuelan economy as in "collapse," arguing this internal failure prevents the regime from sustaining repression.
• She notes that over 2,000 individuals are imprisoned in Venezuela solely for their involvement in the recent electoral victory.
• Demographic data cited includes a minimum monthly salary of $1.50 and a population where nearly one-third has fled the country due to the lack of future prospects.

Policy Alignment with the U.S. and Transition Strategy

• Machado confirms a "total alignment" with the Trump administration regarding a "law enforcement approach" to dismantle the regime's criminal structure.
• She states that U.S. measures, including tariffs on countries trading with Venezuela and the cancellation of the Chevron project, have been "very effective" in cutting off illicit revenue streams.
• The proposed strategy involves increasing the cost of oppression for the regime while offering incentives for a negotiated transition.
• She calls for the unsealing of all corruption indictments and holding financial enablers of the regime accountable.
• Machado asserts that the opposition is prepared to assume government "from day one," with specific plans for the "first 100 hours" and "first 100 days" regarding energy, security, transportation, and public services.

Financial and Diplomatic Roadmap

• The opposition plans to engage with the IMF immediately upon transition to restructure Venezuela's debt, noting that current creditors expect no repayment if Maduro remains.
• Machado intends to re-establish Venezuela's presence in the international financial circuit to facilitate infrastructure investment.
• She anticipates that a stabilized Venezuela will serve as a catalyst to liberate Cuba and Nicaragua, creating a continent "free of communism and dictatorship."
• The transition is framed as a "historic breakthrough" for U.S. security and a "protective shield" for the entire continent.

Personal Commitment and Diaspora Involvement

• Machado, an engineer by training, describes her political involvement as a response to the country's decline and the suffering of its citizens.
• She emphasizes the role of the Venezuelan diaspora, which she claims is actively training and preparing to return and rebuild the nation.
• She states that the opposition has already defeated the regime "spiritually, socially, culturally, and electorally," leaving only the final step of removing Maduro from physical power.
• Machado asserts that the goal is to reunite families and bring children back to Venezuela to access opportunities previously denied.