Machado urges churches to help lead Venezuela's democratic rebirth
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado is calling for a negotiated path back to democracy, urging churches, universities and civic groups to help build a national movement for free elections and political reform.
Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, and former presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia announced a proposal for what they described as a "serious, firm and responsible" political negotiation with the government of interim President Delcy Rodríguez.
The initiative, which would be accompanied by the United States, aims to pave the way for democratic elections and institutional reforms in Venezuela.
The proposal was released through a statement released after opposition leaders met in Panama. In the document, opposition leaders called for the creation of a new National Electoral Council made up of independent and respected citizens, arguing that electoral reforms are necessary to restore confidence in the country's democratic process.
For the faith community and other sectors of society, the proposal includes a direct appeal to help forge what opposition leaders called a "great national agreement for the recovery of the republic."
The opposition said such an effort is needed to promote reconciliation and address the country's ongoing humanitarian crisis, which has forced millions of Venezuelans to flee their homeland over the past decade.
"The central purpose in this negotiation is to achieve the holding of a free, transparent and sovereign presidential election, with all the guarantees dictated by the Constitution and the law, and with due international observation," says the statement published by the Venezuelan opposition.
Opposition leaders also called for the release of political prisoners and protection for civic and political freedoms. The statement argued that Venezuela's humanitarian crisis cannot be fully addressed without restoring freedom and democratic institutions.
Machado, who remains one of Venezuela's most prominent opposition figures, has repeatedly said she intends to participate in a future presidential election if democratic conditions are restored. Earlier this month, she reaffirmed her commitment to returning from exile and seeking the presidency through a free and fair electoral process.
The opposition concluded its appeal by emphasizing national unity as essential to democratic change.
"The democratic transition requires unity and a vision for the state," the statement said. "That unity is not a slogan. It is a commitment, a way of acting, a responsibility and the most powerful tool in the service of freedom."
Last January, in a historic announcement marking the end of decades of socialist oppression in Venezuela, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed the success of a military operation, which resulted in the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
This article was originally published at CP Español
Javier Bolaños is a journalist with more than 20 years of experience in radio, television and written press. He has extensive knowledge of the Latin American reality, having traveled to most all of the countries of the region. He has been the regional producer for Latin America of Global News Alliance (GNA), a news agency that is a partner of Christian Daily International.
He was general producer of CBN News' Mundo Cristiano news program for 10 years and until recently also served as director of Evangélico Digital, an online publication focused on Latin America linked to the Spanish Evangelical Alliance. He has been an international correspondent for various media outlets covering presidential elections, natural disasters and major sporting events such as the Olympics and World Cups.
You can contact him at: javier.b@christiandaily.com
