Machado says democratic Venezuela would be a stable U.S. ally and investment destination

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said a democratic Venezuela could become a source of regional stability and a major destination for foreign investment, arguing that the United States would find both economic security and a reliable long-term ally in the country.

“Venezuela will be a source of stability for the region and the best investment destination for our allies,” Machado said Thursday during a press conference at Andrés Bello Catholic University in Caracas.

“We will have a great ally in the United States, because it will find security for its investments here, but above all, a reliable long-term ally that believes in freedom and democracy,” she said.

Machado, who returned to Venezuela on Oct. 25 after about 10 months abroad, has backed a U.S.-supported roadmap toward presidential elections in 2027 and has argued that Venezuela’s democratic transition should be accompanied by institutional reform, political prisoner releases and guarantees for investors.

She also said she maintained strong relationships with several Latin American presidents, including the leaders of Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic and Panama.

Machado said she had never spoken with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, adding that the lack of contact was “not for lack of interest on my part.”

Her remarks come as Venezuela’s opposition pushes for a timetable for elections while the interim government of Delcy Rodríguez remains in power following the removal of Nicolás Maduro earlier this year.