María Corina Machado warns of a large wave of migration if Maduro retains power

Opposition leader María Corina Machado and her presidential candidate, Edmundo González, were hopeful about the “real opportunity for change and democratization” on July 28 in Venezuela.

But during the 54th Conference of the Council of the Americas (COA), held in Washington, Machado and González said that, despite the “complex moment” that the South American country is experiencing, they consider that the next elections represent “a unique opportunity” after “25 years of destruction.”

Estamos trabajando juntos y conocemos los retos que enfrentamos, pero sobre todo tenemos una enorme confianza en los venezolanos.

Vamos a ganar y a prevalecer. 🇻🇪

Agradecidos con @ASCOA por la oportunidad de hablar de los retos democráticos en nuestro país. @EdmundoGU… pic.twitter.com/uE6epVGw4Z

— María Corina Machado (@MariaCorinaYA) May 8, 2024

“There is a unique opportunity, a real opportunity for change and democratization of our country,” Machado said during a brief interview she had with González and COA President Andrés Gluski.

The opposition also affirmed that, although the circumstances are difficult, they are also favorable given that Venezuelans have a legitimate leadership candidate with the support of the people backed by a “huge civil movement that is growing.”

She also highlighted that there are tensions within the Maduro regime in the face of popular rejection and growing support for the opposition in the international community. Even Maduro’s past allies, such as Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Colombian President Gustavo Petro now insist on the need of a fair electoral process.

Both Machado and González requested support from the international community to avoid a “devastating result” in the elections.

“The world needs to understand how the result of these elections will affect not only Venezuela, but also Latin America, even the entire hemisphere,” said Machado, who Maduro disqualified from participating in the July 28 elections.

The opposition member pointed out that two scenarios are expected from the elections: Maduro in power “by force, blocking the elections or committing enormous fraud” or the negotiation of a democratic transition.

Machado warned that the first scenario would trigger the “largest migratory wave we have seen so far,” which currently exceeds seven million, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

In addition, she says, the Chavismo regime would allow the growth of criminal gangs such as the Tren de Aragua and the consolidation of relations between countries such as Iran and Russia.

“It would be a devastating result for regional political stability, which would originate from Venezuela,” she stated.

Likewise, she pointed out that the transition scenario would allow Venezuela to become “the energy palm of the Americas” by taking advantage of the oil, gas and renewable energies to strengthen diplomatic relations with democratic governments around the world.

“These two results are totally different. Therefore, I believe that the international community should help us make these cases clear to all stakeholders, both legal, financial, economic and social around the world,” she said.