Far-right Venezuelan politician María Corina Machado seating behind a laptop. Photo: ABC.
Far-right Venezuelan opposition politician María Corina Machado vehemently attacked former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, criticizing his crucial role in the successful return of 252 Venezuelan migrants. These Venezuelans were unjustly held in the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in El Salvador after illegal deportation from the US. Machado’s surprising statement sparked widespread debate, as it called into question a humanitarian operation that freed hundreds of people.
In an interview released this Sunday, July 21, by the Spanish newspaper ABC, Machado not only questioned Rodríguez Zapatero’s mediation but also harshly condemned the exchange of the Venezuelans for 10 US nationals sentenced for terrorism. Clearly, the far-right politician disapproved of the diplomatic strategy that made the release of 252 Venezuelan nationals possible. In her own words, Machado responded as follows when asked if the Spanish leader is whitewashing President Maduro:
“He (Rodríguez Zapatero) said then that this allowed him to be an interlocutor for Maduro. Well, now we understand what kind of interlocutor he had and who he could use.”
This statement evidently suggests a deep distrust of Rodríguez Zapatero’s motives and effectiveness, suggesting hidden agendas and personal interests at play.
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Furthermore, the far-right politician intensified her criticism by describing the situation as an unacceptable manipulation of human lives. Machado emphasized that “managing private interests under the table, using human beings as bargaining chips, is abominable.”
This statement, laden with strong moral judgment, paints the rescue as a Machiavellian act despite its positive outcome for the Venezuelan migrants unjustly incarcerated and subjected to human rights abuses in El Salvador.
However, for many observers and relatives of those rescued, the priority was the safety and freedom of the Venezuelan citizens, regardless of the diplomatic details of the negotiation. The controversy arises, therefore, from the collision between the pragmatism of liberation and the political principles espoused by Machado.
The Repatriation of the 252: A Diplomatic Milestone in an Unprecedented Context
The controversy generated by Machado’s statements certainly highlights the deep political divisions in Venezuela and how even humanitarian issues can become an ideological battleground. Despite the release of the 252 migrants, Machado preferred to focus on the nature of the negotiation rather than celebrate the return of Venezuelans to freedom.
Her comments, consequently, have provoked a wave of diverse reactions from commenters ranging from those who share her skepticism about Rodríguez Zapatero’s intervention to those who condemn her apparent lack of empathy for the suffering of the deportees. In this sense, Machado’s words not only reveal a political stance but also invite reflection on how humanitarian crises are perceived and managed in a context of extreme polarization.
Her statements and the fact that she was not directly involved or consulted during the negotiation process between the US and the Venezuelan government are cited by many analysts as clear evidence of the irrelevance of the Venezuelan far-right opposition in recent times.
(RedRadioVE) by Jhulimar Fraga with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
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