María Corina, leader of democracy.

By: Pedro Corzo - 28/12/2025

Guest columnist.
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A few days ago I was talking with two dear friends, businessman Kemel Jamis and writer Jose Antonio Albertini, about the lack of leaders in Latin America who had a democratic vision at hemispheric levels.

We look back to the 19th and mid-20th centuries, noting that these were times rich in remarkable figures in every imaginable field, such as Simón Bolívar, Jose de San Martin, Jose Martí, Juan Domingo Perón, Francisco I. Madero, and many more. However, we agree that in this 21st century, there has been a kind of aridity in leadership regarding politics in general, and even more so among those who have an explicit commitment to democracy in particular.

At that moment, Jamis, I interject and point out, that he is certain that this hemispheric leadership vacuum can and will be filled by María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner who has shown herself to be overflowing with talent and courage, as when in the middle of the national assembly, led by Hugo Chávez, she confronted him and called him a thief, even though the majority was against him.

The reality is that Latin America has suffered from a chronic lack of leaders fiercely committed to democracy, specifically those who have distinguished themselves or are distinguished by their continental projection, although, we must admit that there has not been an abundance of notable personalities in the national spheres either, with exceptions, such as the former Colombian president Álvaro Uribe and the current Argentine president Javier Milei.

Furthermore, it must be said that most national leaders have shown very little vision regarding the dangers that democracy faces from Castro-Chavismo and its variants, and a very limited spirit of solidarity with the republics that have been subjugated by autocrats, among which we must include Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua.

On the other hand, despotism and autocracies have had more than enough important leaders, among whom Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez stand out on the continental level, and Nicolas Maduro, Rafael Correa, Daniel Ortega, Evo Morales, Manuel Noriega, and Mel Zelaya at the national level. All of these individuals leave much to be desired in terms of the discernment of their followers and those who have promoted and supported them for decades without taking into account their abuses and plunder.

One autocrat who should not be omitted is Augusto Pinochet. The Chilean dictator could have been a hemispheric leader, albeit not a democratic one, as a consequence of having orchestrated the overthrow of Salvador Allende, an unconditional ally of Fidel Castro and all his associates, who was an important figure in the vegan left, if such a thing exists, with a strong inclination towards cannibalism.

It is worth noting that there are figures who could be included in one or the other of these relationships, such as Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, Nayib Bukele, Michelle Bachelet, and the Kirchner-Fernández couple. The profound contradictions they have exhibited in their respective leaderships, both within their countries and through their foreign policies, leave their future placement to the discretion of any observer. However, for the moment, this observer would place da Silva and Kirchner-Fernández among the enemies of hemispheric democracies, in the same category as Castro and Chávez. The complicit behavior of all three reached aberrant levels.

National leaders are a fundamental aspiration in any country, a presence that should not be confused with that of strongmen or satraps serving minorities, just as international paradigms are needed who can synthesize, through their management and proposals, the most cherished desires of the citizenry.

I absolutely agree with Jamis and Albertini's proposal that Mrs. María Corina Machado can fully assume a continental leadership role since she has demonstrated strong democratic convictions, honored her commitment to those who have freedom and citizen rights in the first instance, and, finally, she is not afraid of her enemies.

María Corina, as has happened throughout history when despots try to break those who challenge them, has grown and reached unimaginable heights even for her most loyal supporters, as were the elections of July 28, 2024, and that an adversary of the political left, but a consistent politician, achieved the Nobel Peace Prize thanks to her constant sacrifice and abundant decorum.

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