Photo by Bel Pedrosa – CC BY-SA 2.0 This month marks the 25th anniversary of Venezuela’s Bolivarian Revolution, despite ongoing efforts by the US to undermine the socialist project. President Nicolás Maduro's government has made the US acknowledge its authority, even though the US still claims that the 2015 National Assembly is the only democratic institution in Venezuela. The US is now reviewing candidates for the upcoming Venezuelan presidential election. While this is still interfering, the US hasn’t been able to overthrow the government. Recently, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado appeared before a US congressional committee, showing the US is seeking a reliable ally. Republicans hope she will collaborate with them, while Democrats may have their own plans. Opposition to the socialist government is made up of various small groups, each tied to a leader like Machado's Vente Venezuela party. The US spends millions annually on what it calls “democracy promotion” in Venezuela. USAID has pledged $50 million to influence the presidential elections later this year. Despite Washington's efforts, there's no unified opposition in Venezuela yet. Still, the US continues to try to pick who should lead Venezuela.  Farewell to Venezuelan “interim president” Juan GuaidĂł The last person considered for the top job in the empire was Juan GuaidĂł, who is now in trouble. Even though he was well-liked as Venezuela's "temporary president" abroad, people in his own country didn't support him, and he was removed by his own opposition group in 2022. The US and its friends gave GuaidĂł and his friends control of some Venezuelan assets, like a company in Colombia and an oil franchise in the US, even though they weren't supposed to. They used these businesses to make themselves rich but ended up ruining them. The Venezuelan attorney general says they stole about $19 billion. GuaidĂł didn't seem like a strong leader, and it turns out he wasn't. But the new person in the running looks good in pictures and is good at speaking. Plus, they can speak English well. Machado auditions before the “bipartisan roundtable” The House Foreign Affairs Committee had a discussion on February 7th about "The Fight for Freedom in Venezuela." Maria Salazar, the committee chair, was very supportive of MarĂa Corina Machado, the main opposition presidential candidate. Salazar emphasized that Machado is the only opposition candidate they support, saying there's "no plan B!" During the discussion, Machado described Venezuela as the "largest torture center in Latin America" under the Maduro government, accusing them of intentionally worsening people's lives. When asked about solving Venezuela's issues, Machado said she would focus on opening up markets. However, it wasn't mentioned that the economic sanctions she supported had closed off markets and hurt Venezuela's citizens, especially the less fortunate. Machado comes from a wealthy family. Machado also mentioned she wouldn't tolerate a system of impunity like the one under Nicolás Maduro and Diosdado Cabello's leadership. While Nicaragua wasn't initially discussed, Machado pledged to support a transition there too. This prompted concerns from the PerĂş Libre party, reflecting leftist views in Latin America, who see Machado as a threat to continental peace. Machado’s political baggage Machado has a controversial past in politics. Back in 2002, she supported a short-lived coup against Hugo Chávez by signing the Carmona Decree. Although she was granted amnesty for her involvement, she has been linked to other coup attempts. She was also involved in promoting violent protests in 2014 and 2017, aiming to overthrow the government, and has even called for a US military intervention. In 2014, Machado was prohibited from running for public office in Venezuela because she served as a diplomat for Panama to testify against Venezuela at the Organization of American States. Initially, she refused to challenge this decision in the Supreme Court, which she deemed illegitimate.
However, when the US sought to use her disqualification as a reason to impose sanctions, she complied and took her case to court. Despite her efforts, she remains disqualified from holding public office. Other congressional initiatives In December, Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) introduced House Resolution 911 naming Machado as the "official presidential opposition candidate." This move interferes with another country's affairs and ignores the opposition in Venezuela, which doesn't see Machado as the only valid candidate. On January 30, after Machado's appeal to restore her eligibility failed, Republican Senators Marco Rubio, Rick Scott, and Bill Cassidy urged Biden to reimpose sanctions on Venezuela to uphold US credibility. That day, the Biden State Department revoked sanctions relief on Venezuelan gold sales and threatened to do the same for gas and oil. Earlier, the Congressional Research Service stated that US sanctions on Venezuela didn't achieve regime change but caused severe human suffering, the same crisis Machado blames on the Venezuelan government. How popular is Machado off of Capitol Hill? Top analysts recognize Machado as the most well-known opposition politician in Venezuela and the most popular one. However, she doesn't have unanimous support within the country. Venezuelan sociologist Maria Paez Victor, now living in Canada, says Machado is disliked by many in the opposition. "She is widely disliked because she strongly supports more sanctions, which have led to a lot of suffering." Machado's opposition primary had issues. She won with an unusually high 92%, but the process excluded some parties and had irregularities, like being run by her own organization instead of the national authority. The US press often calls it "an" opposition primary, not "the" opposition primary, hinting at its questionable nature. The Venezuelan Supreme Court later suspended the results due to these irregularities. Machado’s prospects Maduro hasn't officially announced his candidacy, but it's widely expected that he'll be the choice for his party. Machado insists that elections must include her, a sentiment supported by the European Union, which won't recognize the election without her participation. According to the Orinoco Tribune, the White House isn't overly concerned about the opposition candidate in Venezuela. Biden official Juan González emphasizes the importance of the electoral process over the specific candidate. There are indications that the White House might be anticipating a Maduro victory and planning to reject the election results. In the past, the U.S. declared the Venezuelan presidential election fraudulent well in advance and even threatened sanctions against an opposition candidate. The controversy surrounding Machado's eligibility for elections seems manufactured, with little relevance to her as a far-right opposition figure. Washington likely knew she wouldn't be allowed to run due to past issues. This situation is likely a strategy to cast doubt on the upcoming election and discredit it if Maduro emerges as the winner. Â
