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As many in Washington seek to clarify President Trump’s objectives toward Venezuela, there is one leader whose vision needs no interpretation: Maria Corina Machado. The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner and leader of the democracy movement in Venezuela, Maria Corina recently outlined her “Freedom Manifesto” – a promise of what renewed democracy would bring to her country, whose freedoms, faith, and families have been torn apart by the Maduro regime.
In her piece, Maria Corina recalls the things that made America – and at one point, Venezuela – truly great: Human dignity. God-given liberty. And of course, a citizenry endlessly committed to their land, their values, their neighbors, and their democracy. Venezuela was, after all, the nation that brought democracy to Latin America. Democracy is their birthright. Freedom flows through their history, their towns, their veins.
Lately, much has been written of the struggles of Venezuela since Maduro illegally seized power through a fraudulent election. And of course, much should be written of it. The crimes against humanity. The extrajudicial killings. The destruction of families. The human rights violations. The imprisonment of democracy defenders. The hostage taking. The destruction of natural resources. The theft of personal property. The largest refugee crisis in the history of the Western hemisphere. But equally importantly, what Maria Corina and the democratic activists in Venezuela remind us of is the beautiful legacy of their past - and the promise of an even brighter future. Under her leadership, and that of democratically elected President Edmundo Gonzalez, the light of Venezuela will shine brighter than ever before. I for one cannot wait to see it.
- Carrie Filipetti, Executive Director of The Vandenberg Coalition
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