The Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado stated during her participation in the Munich Security Conference that once the regime in Venezuela is dismantled, "Cuba will be next," followed by Nicaragua, in what she described as a process that could lead to the Americas being "free from communism and dictatorship."
In words gathered by Europa Press during the international forum held in the Bavarian capital, Machado emphasized the need to move "from declarations of intent to actions" in order to achieve political change in Venezuela.
"Certainly, several countries have been very active in terms of denouncing the crimes against humanity and the networks of corruption operating in Venezuela. Nowadays, we believe that we need much more than that," he stated.
The opposition leader emphasized that the immediate goal must be to dismantle what she termed a "criminal regime" in Venezuela.
In that context, he issued his regional warning: "And once we dismantle the regime, the criminal regime in Venezuela, Cuba will be next. Nicaragua after that. For the first time in history, we will have the Americas free from communism and dictatorship."
Call to "dismantle" Cuba's presence in Venezuela
Machado once again criticized the influence of Havana on the structures of the Venezuelan state and emphasized the urgency of "dismantling the presence of Cuba, Russia, and Iran in Venezuelan institutions," not only in the economic sphere but also in the military.
In this regard, he advocated for isolating both the elites of the Venezuelan government and the "extra-hemispheric penetration in Venezuela," referring to Caracas's cooperation with countries like Iran and Russia, in addition to Cuba.
During his speech, he advocated for concrete measures to weaken the Venezuelan government.
"We need to block the flows of money," which, he stated, the Government uses "for repression, corruption, and the increase of criminal activities." He also called to "support objective measures against the groups that currently control repression in Venezuela."
The opposition leader estimated that 20,000 people have been detained for political reasons during the administrations of Nicolás Maduro and Hugo Chávez, stated that more than 1,100 individuals were executed and 2,000 were tortured, and asserted that the repressive structure remains active.
Direct accusations against the power structure
María Corina also mentioned the current acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, whom she accused of being "an essential part of the cartel."
"She was the architect and oversees the system of torture and the repressive structure, and she is the main connection with Russia, Iran, Cuba, and others," he said. "Everyone knows it."
He also stated that to move towards a political transition, it is necessary to free the Venezuelan armed forces from that group of just a few thousand individuals, who are very well-armed and trained. "We need to neutralize them and isolate them," he maintained.
Machado reiterated that "for years we have denounced and shown the world the extent of the crimes committed in Venezuela," and contrasted that situation with what she described as a "decisive action by the Government under the leadership of President Trump."
Defense of his gesture towards Trump
The opposition leader also defended her decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize medal to U.S. President Donald Trump, stating that the United States is "the only country that has risked the lives of some of its citizens for the freedom of Venezuela."
"We are very grateful because what happened on January 3 definitely paved the way for a transition to democracy," he stated.
In the context of the Munich Security Conference, Machado stated that the current moment represents a phase of transition. "We all know this is not sustainable. We all know this is a phase in which restoration is taking place," he asserted.
With her statement that "Cuba will be next. Nicaragua afterward," the opposition leader placed the Venezuelan crisis within a broader regional context, where the fall of Chavismo would signal the beginning of a political transformation in the other two allied dictatorships of Caracas.
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