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President Trump's speech on January 4, 2026, left me stunned. In just 15 seconds, he stated that María Corina (Machado) did not have the support of the Venezuelan people and emphasized twice that she did not have the respect of the populace.
He spoke about oil, but not about freedom or democracy. I was even more astonished when he hired Delcy Rodríguez, one of the main contributors to the misfortune in Venezuela. She remains the vice president, as Trump is the de facto president of Venezuela since he runs the country remotely. I continue to be surprised when months later the U.S. Department of Justice withdraws the investigations it was conducting against her.
When the U.S. extracts Maduro, the newly elected president, Edmundo González Urrutia, should have been aboard one of those helicopters. The United States had the power to impose him with democratic legitimacy instead of the vice-usurper. Everything was in place. The leader of the free world restoring democracy in the Latin American country with the richest democratic history. But no, that did not happen. The only response I have received is that María Corina congratulated Biden when he was elected. So what? It is normal for an elected president to be congratulated; it's protocol. If this truly was the reason, it means that a personal tantrum can outweigh national interests, for until that moment, the promotion of democracy had been the cornerstone of American diplomacy. I do not want this outcome for Cuba, and I refuse to accept it for Venezuela. There are two other actions that could be taken today to correct this situation.
Let the elected president show up at Miraflores and force the situation. It's like stealing home in baseball. There's no need for elections since the ballots are safeguarded in Panama.
In their absence, immediate elections should be held in Venezuela so that María Corina can finally become the undisputed leader of the Venezuelan people. If elections could be held under Maduro, how can they not be held under his vice?
But none of this is going to happen. It is remarkable that María Corina has traveled the world from Oslo, across Europe, Washington, and even Panama, yet has not visited the place with the largest Venezuelan community in the United States, Doral.
María Corina has sacrificed herself trying not to anger Trump for the good of her country. If she comes to Doral, right where Trump has his hotel and golf course, Trump would be upset to see the exiles giving an extraordinary reception to the person he has boycotted. It would be a celebration full of fervor, love, and admiration for her. So it is up to the rest of us to raise our voices so that when she finally goes to Doral, it is with the presidential sash across her chest, on her way to the White House to finally enter through the wide door.
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Opinion article: Las declaraciones y opiniones expresadas en este artículo son de exclusiva responsabilidad de su autor y no representan necesariamente el punto de vista de CiberCuba.