Machado declares Venezuela transition irreversible after La Guaira visit
The Nobel laureate argued that three days on the ground confirm the progress of the US-backed three-phase plan.
By Arjun Weber ·
Venezuela has entered a fragile period of political change following the return of opposition leader María Corina Machado. The Nobel Peace Prize winner held her first press conference on Thursday noon, asserting that the nation's shift away from the previous status quo is now permanent.
Machado stated that the three days elapsed since her arrival on Sunday demonstrate that the three-phase plan proposed by US President Donald Trump is advancing. She emphasized that the transition is irreversible, a position that signals a firm commitment to the current trajectory despite ongoing internal debates.
The former deputy spent Wednesday in the coastal state of La Guaira, formerly known as Vargas. This region suffered the most damage from the double earthquake that struck on June 24. Machado toured various sectors of the area to meet with residents affected by the disaster and to assess the physical destruction firsthand.
Her campaign team, the Comando con Venezuela, distributed photos and videos of the visit on X. They noted that Machado prioritized being present in Vargas from the start. The team described her tour as a direct observation of the devastation caused by the June events, framing the visit as a way to show support for local families.
Machado returned to Venezuela on Sunday after several failed attempts to enter the country. She led a vehicle caravana from the western state of Lara to Caracas for her first public appearance. Since then, she has met with members of her Vente Venezuela party and families of political prisoners.
She also held discussions with leaders of the Plataforma Unitaria Democrática, the main opposition coalition, and the Alianza por Venezuela, a group of smaller social and political organizations. These meetings are part of her effort to unify the opposition front during this transitional phase.
The Thursday press conference marked the first formal media engagement by Machado since her return. Her comments on the irreversible nature of the transition provide a clear signal of her stance on the ongoing political restructuring in the country.
