Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado contended that a democratic transition for her nation would quickly revamp its economy, undo years of instability, and reshape the political landscape of the region.
Machado stated in an interview that this outcome would define the legacy of Trump’s foreign policy, drawing a parallel to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
“The legacy to the world is going to be huge,” she explained. “You’re going to have a prosperous Venezuela and region.… If you make a historical comparison, this would mean as much to the Americas as the fall of the Berlin Wall meant to Europe. It’s equivalent.”
“For the first time in history, the Americas will be free of communism, dictatorship, and narco-terrorism,” she added.
Machado said she intends to return soon to help drive a democratic transition, despite the risks she faces under the country’s current government.
“I need to be there. I want to go back as soon as possible,” Machado said.
Her planned return would come at a critical juncture for Venezuela, as interim President Delcy Rodríguez leads efforts following the removal of Nicolás Maduro.
Rodríguez, a close ally of Maduro, was sworn into office on Jan. 5 after U.S. forces ousted the ex-leader and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their Caracas compound during a military operation.
The pair were flown to New York and arraigned in federal court on multiple charges, to which they pleaded not guilty.
Rodríguez has since worked with the White House and spoken with President Trump by phone.
Machado, however, voiced deep doubts about Rodríguez’s leadership, warning that the transition risks falling short without a fuller break from the Maduro-era government.
“If Delcy Rodríguez stays, nothing truly changes,” she told the Post. “There will be no rule of law, no trust, no stability. Venezuelans will not come home under a criminal.”