María Corina Machado, leader of the Venezuelan opposition and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner, had a meeting with the United States Foreign Affairs Committee.
“We need to free the Venezuelan Armed Forces. This is achieved by dismantling the control of a very small group —around 1,500 individuals— that make up and control the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM),” Machado said in a press release after the meeting.
In that sense, Machado maintained that it is necessary to “dismantle the repressive apparatus so that people can mobilize and express themselves freely.” And so that all Venezuelans who have been forced into exile can return to their families and their lives.
He noted that there is currently a growing “hope that the system of repression is beginning to collapse“However, he clarified that “It is still very dangerous to return home at this time. But as this process progresses and we continue to dismantle the machinery of repression, we will begin to see hundreds, and then thousands, return to their homes. And we hope to count on your support on this path.”
Furthermore, María Corina asked for the support of congressmen to ensure that all political prisoners are released:
“One hundred and fifty people have already been released, and they would not be with their families today if January 3 had not happened. That is why we are deeply grateful to the United States.”.
“We have given our lives to live with freedom,” said Machado
He assured that he has a duty to the Venezuelans and must fulfill it. “We are a proud people. We have given our lives and everything we have to live with dignity and freedom. “We know how to rebuild our country, and Venezuela is capable of financing its own recovery,” express.
Finally, he referred to the meeting with President Donald Trump and maintained that the Republican genuinely cares about the well-being of the Venezuelan people and by democratic institutions.
“I cannot speculate on their priorities or internal evaluations, but I know that the president understands very well the nature of the regime and the fundamental importance of popular sovereignty as a basis for the stability of the country”he assured.
