Mar铆a Corina Machado: Venezuelan regime 鈥榯oxic鈥�
Mar铆a Corina Machado: Venezuelan regime 鈥榯oxic鈥�
Leading Venezuelan opposition politician says the government of Nicol谩s Maduro has 鈥榮acked鈥� and 鈥榬obbed鈥� the country
Speaking to HARDtalk鈥檚 Stephen Sackur from Caracas, Mar铆a Corina Machado said: 鈥楳aduro has sacked the country, not only the oil, enterprises as well as the rest of the economy has been destroyed. They have robbed every single resource and has our country totally indebted.鈥�
Ms Machado is the founder and leader of the Vente Venezuela party. She has long been critical of Venezuela鈥檚 socialist government 鈥� first under Hugo Chavez and then his successor Nicol谩s Maduro. Since he was elected in 2013, President Maduro has grown increasingly authoritarian. His crackdown on opposition activists has led to the US imposing sanctions on his government.
Former US President Donald Trump pursued what he called a policy of 鈥榤aximum pressure鈥� on the Maduro government with the hope that it might led to regime change in Caracas. Nicol谩s Maduro remains in power.
Venezuela is due to hold presidential elections in 2024. Ms Machado is the front runner to become the opposition candidate with primaries scheduled to be held in October this year. However, the government has already blocked her from holding any public office.
Nevertheless, she believes has the popular support to win. 鈥榃e've reached a point in which we realise that Maduro is willing to do anything to stay in power. And the only way through which we can confront and defeat him is building a huge, unprecedented social movement鈥�, she said.
Venezuela's long-running political and economic crisis has led to seven million people leaving the country since 2015, causing tensions in neighbouring states and in the US where migrants have attempted to cross its southern border. 鈥楾he world understands Maduro is toxic,鈥� said Ms Machado.
