"The whereabouts of Maria Corina Machado have been one of the great enigmas of Venezuelan politics since August 2024. Most people have always assumed she was hiding within the country, engaged in her strategy to weaken Chavista hegemony. Her enormous popular support turned the topic into a taboo, and the authorities fueled the confusion: Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello even claimed on several occasions that she had fled Venezuela. It was in this context that the first major surprise emerged."
"When many imagined she had been placed under close surveillance, Machado announced that she would travel to Oslo to personally receive the Nobel Peace Prize, accompanied by her family and supporters. Machado went underground after last summer's presidential elections. Without leaving Venezuela, she continued to work behind the scenes to force a democratic transition. She claimed victory for Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, called on citizens to organize and protest, and urged the Armed Forces to respect the popular will in the face of orders from Chavismo."
"The furious popular protests that swept across Venezuela after the results of the July 28, 2024 elections were announced surprised both Chavismo and the opposition. Amid the chaos, nine statues of Hugo Chavez were toppled in different parts of the country. On July 30, with tension at its peak, Machado and Gonzalez Urrutia addressed their supporters in Caracas. There, they revealed that their teams had scanned 80% of the tally sheets that the National Electoral Council refused to release."
Maria Corina Machado went underground after the 2024 presidential elections while remaining inside Venezuela and continued working to force a democratic transition. She claimed victory for Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, mobilized citizens to organize and protest, and urged the Armed Forces to respect the popular will over Chavista orders. Her supporters published scanned tally sheets showing Gonzalez Urrutia winning by a wide margin, after the National Electoral Council refused to release them. Massive protests toppled nine Hugo Chavez statues and provoked a fierce regime response. Machado later announced travel to Oslo to personally receive the Nobel Peace Prize accompanied by family and supporters.
Read at english.elpais.com
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