The Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado stated this Sunday that Colombia's stability directly depends on what happens in Venezuela, and dismissed any notion that the government of Delcy Rodríguez would collaborate in the fight against illegal armed groups operating along the border between the two countries.
In an interview published by the Colombian newspaper El Tiempo, Machado was unequivocal: "There will only be peace and prosperity in Colombia with democracy and freedom in Venezuela."
The leader, who operates from Panama after leaving Venezuela clandestinely in December 2025, emphasized that both countries share a "past, present, and future" and noted that Colombia hosts more than 2.8 million Venezuelans, many of whom wish to return to their homeland.
Machado proposed to coordinate the armed forces of both countries to confront the illegal groups operating in the border area, an initiative that gains importance given that the Chavista regime, according to her, has no genuine willingness to cooperate on this matter.
In the energy sector, the opposition member called for the repair of the Antonio Ricaurte gas pipeline, a 225-kilometer pipe that connects Colombia's La Guajira with Venezuela's Zulia state and has been inactive since 2015. Both governments recently activated a roadmap for its rehabilitation, although the works have not been completed, and the Andean Development Corporation estimates that reactivation requires a minimum investment of 66 million dollars.
Machado described the Colombian president Abelardo de la Espriella —who took office in August 2026— as an "ally of the Venezuelan people and of democracy," and he stated that a democratic transition in Venezuela would directly benefit Colombia, particularly in terms of border security and migration pressure.
The statements come days after Machado claimed to have been excluded from the negotiations between the Chavista government and opposition sectors sponsored by Washington. The State Department responded that her party, Vente Venezuela, had indeed been invited to those discussions.
The opposition leader insists that it is urgent to set a date for the presidential elections. At the beginning of October, she demanded that the elections be held within the next twelve months and endorsed July 24, 2027, as a possible date. In contrast, Rodríguez's government has only promised elections when Venezuela is "ready," without providing any specific timeline.
Machado, who has made at least seven failed attempts to return to Venezuela since late June, promised to return to the country "sooner than they think," although without announcing a specific date.
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