María Corina Machado Predicts Fall of Cuba, Nicaragua After Venezuela's 'Criminal Regime' Defeat

Venezuela - Ekhbary News Agency

María Corina Machado: Cuba and Nicaragua Will Fall Once Venezuela's 'Criminal Regime' is Defeated

In a bold statement that has reverberated across Latin America, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, identified as the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, asserted on Saturday that the left-wing administrations in Cuba and Nicaragua are destined to fall once the 'criminal regime' currently governing Venezuela is overthrown. Machado delivered her remarks via videoconference during the prestigious Munich Security Conference in Germany, underscoring the profound regional implications of ongoing developments in her home country.

Machado, who reportedly lived clandestinely before leaving Venezuela with U.S. support to receive her Nobel Prize in Oslo, emphasized the far-reaching impact of the Venezuelan situation. "What is happening in Venezuela is gigantic in terms of the repercussions it is already having in the region," she stated. She further elaborated on her vision for a liberated continent: "Once we dismantle the criminal regime in Venezuela, Cuba will be next, Nicaragua will follow. For the first time in history, we will have the Americas free from communism and dictatorship." Her words paint a vivid picture of a potential domino effect, where a change in Venezuela could trigger significant political transformations across allied nations.

Dramatic Shifts in Venezuela's Political Landscape

Machado's pronouncements come against a backdrop of dramatic and rapid changes in Venezuela. On January 3, U.S. forces reportedly captured Nicolás Maduro in a military incursion in Caracas. Following this, Delcy Rodríguez, who served as Maduro's vice president, assumed interim leadership. Rodríguez has swiftly embarked on a new agenda, focusing on oil agreements and the release of political prisoners, actions reportedly undertaken under pressure from Washington. This sudden shift in power and policy signals a critical juncture for the nation, potentially reshaping its internal dynamics and international relations.

Historically, both Cuba, under the leadership of Miguel Díaz-Canel, and Nicaragua, governed by co-presidents Daniel Ortega and his wife Rosario Murillo, have been staunch allies of the ruling Chavista movement in Venezuela. The potential defeat of the Venezuelan regime, as envisioned by Machado, would therefore represent a severe blow to this regional axis, potentially destabilizing these long-standing alliances and opening avenues for new political realignments. The intricate web of these relationships means that a change in one nation could indeed ripple through the others, as Machado suggests.

Machado's Return Aspirations and U.S. Engagement

María Corina Machado's personal journey has been intertwined with the political struggle. Her departure from Venezuela with U.S. backing for the Nobel ceremony highlights a significant level of international support. She notably decided to present her Nobel medal to former U.S. President Donald Trump, a gesture he described as "wonderful," further cementing her alignment with certain American political factions. This symbolic act underscores the complex interplay between internal Venezuelan politics and external international actors.

Despite the house arrest imposed on one of her closest allies, Juan Pablo Guanipa, just hours after his release, Machado affirmed her readiness to return to her country. When queried about needing U.S. facilitation or permission for her return, she responded, "Permission, no, but I would certainly say that we desire there to be coordination." This nuanced stance suggests a desire for strategic support rather than direct intervention in her personal movements, emphasizing her agency while acknowledging the need for diplomatic alignment.

During her presentation, Machado also outlined her vision for Venezuela's future, predicting an "ordered and peaceful" transition to democracy. She expressed her aspiration to become president "at the appropriate moment," signaling her readiness to lead the country through its post-transition phase. These ambitions position her as a central figure in any future democratic government in Venezuela.

Trump's Evolving Stance and Rodríguez's Diplomatic Shift

Intriguingly, former U.S. President Donald Trump's public stance on Venezuela appears to have evolved. While he previously hosted Machado and declared the political objective in Venezuela to be the holding of elections and a democratic transition, his more recent statements have omitted this aspect. In a notable development on Friday, Trump reportedly affirmed that Delcy Rodríguez, the interim Venezuelan president, is doing "a great job," signaling a surprisingly positive relationship between the two.

This shift from Trump coincides with Rodríguez's own pivot in Venezuela's relationship with the U.S., which had been severed since 2019. Rodríguez has initiated an oil reform that opens doors to foreign investment and offers attractive conditions for American companies, effectively working to rebuild economic ties. This new dynamic between Rodríguez and the U.S. administration, particularly Trump, adds layers of complexity to the regional political landscape, challenging prior assumptions about alliances and future trajectories in Latin America.

Ekhbary News Agency