Venezuelan opposition leader draws a huge crowd in Madrid and rebuffs Spain’s Sánchez

Venezuelan Opposition Leader Machado Rallies Thousands in Madrid, Declines Meeting with Spanish PM

Venezuela’s exiled opposition leader María Corina Machado gathered several thousand supporters in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol on Saturday, showcasing her continued political influence while declining a meeting with Spain’s progressive Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez during her European tour.

Machado explained her decision to skip the meeting with Sánchez, who was hosting a summit of progressive leaders from around the world. “What happened in the last few hours at the meeting he held in Barcelona with several leaders and political figures from different countries demonstrates why such a meeting was not advisable,” she told reporters.

The timing highlighted the political divide between Machado and Sánchez, who is known for his criticism of former U.S. President Donald Trump. In contrast, Machado has openly praised Trump for his role in Nicolás Maduro’s removal from power in January, even presenting Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize earlier this year.

“There is one leader in the world, one head of state, who has risked the lives of his country’s citizens for the freedom of Venezuela. And that is Donald Trump,” Machado declared, referring to the U.S. military operation that ousted Maduro in January. She added that she maintains “permanent contact” with officials in the Trump administration and trusts Washington’s phased process in Venezuela since Maduro’s removal.

During her Madrid appearance, Machado stood alongside the region’s conservative leader Isabel Díaz Ayuso, who welcomed her earlier in the day. The rally held special significance given that Spain hosts approximately 600,000 Venezuelans—the largest Venezuelan population outside the Americas—with most concentrated in Madrid. Many fled their homeland due to political persecution, violence, and economic collapse.

Machado did not provide specifics when asked about returning to Venezuela, though she insisted she would go back. “I will return to Venezuela,” she stated firmly, while acknowledging the significant challenges such a return would entail.

Her European tour, which has already included meetings with the leaders of France, Italy, and the Netherlands, comes at a critical time for Venezuela. The country’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez continues to serve beyond the initial 90-day limit of her temporary role, while the U.S. government has eased some sanctions against her administration.

Machado pulled no punches in her criticism of Rodríguez’s government, describing it as representing “chaos, violence and terror,” while reiterating her commitment to the restoration of democratic elections in Venezuela.

The opposition leader’s international prominence grew significantly in the lead-up to Venezuela’s 2024 presidential elections, when she mobilized millions of voters hoping to end 25 years of single-party rule. When authorities barred her from running, former diplomat Edmundo Gonzalez stepped in as her replacement. Despite credible evidence suggesting Gonzalez won, election officials loyal to the ruling party declared Maduro the victor.

Following the disputed election, Machado went into hiding while vowing to continue her fight for democracy. She emerged publicly last December to accept her Nobel Peace Prize in Norway, marking her first time leaving Venezuela in over a decade.

The Madrid rally underscored Machado’s continued appeal among the Venezuelan diaspora. Among those present was 27-year-old Venezuelan migrant Grehlsy Peñuela, who held signs featuring the faces of her two cousins she said remain imprisoned in Caracas as political prisoners. Peñuela expressed her continued faith in Machado and would only consider returning to Venezuela under one condition: “That the current government completely steps down.”

As Venezuela’s political crisis continues to evolve, Machado’s European tour highlights both her international legitimacy and the complex geopolitical dynamics surrounding Venezuela’s future, with different world powers taking varying approaches to the South American nation’s governance transition.