María Corina is back, now it's time to keep adding and adding

By: Francisco Santos - 06/11/2026

Everything is in place for free elections to be held in Venezuela with María Corina before the end of next year.

No one questions María Corina Machado's legitimacy as leader of the Venezuelan opposition. No one questions her integrity and her fighting spirit. Nor does anyone question the importance of her role in Venezuela's transition to democracy. However, now that she is back in her country, thank God, her role changes, and so does her responsibility.

María Corina is not arriving in a vacuum. She is arriving midway through a process that, while not perfect and needing improvement, is the instrument she must use to achieve the goal we all want: free elections in which she can participate. The negotiating table imposed by the United States, which has forced the dictatorship to begin making concessions, is the existing mechanism and is undoubtedly far better than trying to create another. It would be a grave mistake, and above all a great victory for Delcy and Jorge Rodríguez, to lose what has been achieved so far and give the mafia regime time to remain in power. That is what they seek and have sought, and that has been their strategy for the last 20 years: delay, delay, and delay.

Dinorah Figuera, who has led the opposition's negotiating team, is a decent, serious woman, a victim of the dictatorship, and she understands her role is singular: to create the conditions for democracy. She herself has sought a mechanism for coordination with María Corina Machado, but unfortunately, this has not been possible. Today, that lack of coordination is irrelevant. What is fundamental is that it now becomes a reality to accelerate negotiations and achieve the common goals that the United States and the Venezuelan opposition share.

I have personally experienced the disaster of the Venezuelan opposition. During Juan Guaidó's interim government, they were the main obstacle to the success of that policy. I witnessed this firsthand when I was Colombia's ambassador to the United States and worked closely with the American government and the interim government to find a solution for Venezuela, which, due to the opposition itself, never materialized. To be fair, the dictatorship also bought off some members of the opposition—the so-called "scorpions"—murdered some, and imprisoned others. It has not been an easy task. Dinorah herself was persecuted for leading the legal proceedings to bring to justice the murderers of her son's godfather, Fernando Albán.

I've also been criticized for praising María Corina when, in an act of patriotic magnanimity, she presented her Nobel Prize to Donald Trump. Such an act of generosity and political maturity is rarely seen in history and demonstrates the true character of this leader.

That's why we must be optimistic about what's coming for Venezuela. Everything is in place for free elections to be held in our neighboring country before the end of next year. Today, the opposition is led by a unique woman like María Corina Machado. Today, the negotiations are led by another strong-willed and serious woman like Dinorah, who, I repeat, is clear about her role. And we mustn't forget, nor be naive, that the United States, and especially Marco Rubio, are behind this process, which has major implications not only for the future of Venezuela, but also for Cuba and the rest of the region. Oh, and as if that weren't enough, the next presidential election in the United States is also at stake.

The greatness of a political leader is revealed in moments like these: when they open doors, when they unite, when they understand their surroundings, and when they set aside petty intrigues and personal ego. The return of María Corina, and how Venezuela responded, not only fills the heart with hope and the eyes with tears, as happened to me when I witnessed that historic moment, but also creates such a great responsibility that it requires everyone's participation to succeed.

The truth is, this negotiation begins now, and Dinorah has enormous leverage and a powerful sledgehammer to bring to the table to quickly secure a National Electoral Council (CNE) and an electoral calendar. The game Delcy and Jorge Rodríguez were playing was merely a preseason. Now they'll have to face the big players; hence Dinorah's trip to Washington next week to meet with Marco Rubio. María Corina must understand that her role is to create pressure in the streets to ensure the results of a truly independent Supreme Court, a CNE that respects the popular will, and free elections next year, obviously in coordination with Dinorah, who is the United States' delegate to carry out the negotiations.

Everything is in the hands of the Venezuelan opposition, not just María Corina, although she does bear the greatest responsibility. That's why I do believe there is light at the end of the tunnel; I have no doubt about it.

«The opinions published herein are the sole responsibility of its author».