María Corina Machado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
María Corina Machado
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Machado in 2023
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| Member of the National Assembly for Miranda |
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| In office 5 January 2011 – 21 March 2014 |
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| Succeeded by | Ricardo Sánchez |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 7 October 1967 Caracas, Republic of Venezuela |
| Political party | Vente Venezuela (2012–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Unitary Platform Democratic Unity Roundtable Súmate (2001–2010) |
| Spouse |
Ricardo Sosa
(m. 1990; div. 2001) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parents | Henrique Machado Corina Parisca |
| Education | Andrés Bello Catholic University Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Administración |
| Awards | Sakharov Prize (2024) Václav Havel Human Rights Prize (2024) |
| Signature |  |
María Corina Machado Parisca, born on October 7, 1967, is a Venezuelan politician and engineer. She is a well-known leader of the opposition in Venezuela. From 2011 to 2014, she was an elected member of the National Assembly of Venezuela, which is like the country's parliament.
Machado started her political journey in 2002. She helped create and lead a group called Súmate, which focused on making sure elections were fair. She is also the main leader of the political party Vente Venezuela. In 2018, the BBC named her one of the "100 Women" who are influential around the world. In 2025, Time magazine also included her in its list of the world's 100 most influential people.
Machado is seen as a very important figure in the Venezuelan opposition. The government of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela has prevented her from leaving the country. She ran for president in 2012 but did not win the primary election for the opposition. During the 2014 Venezuelan protests, she was one of the main people organizing demonstrations against the government.
In 2023, Machado was a candidate in the primary elections for the opposition. However, on June 30, 2023, she was told she could not hold public office for fifteen years. This decision was confirmed by the Supreme Court of Justice of Venezuela in January 2024. Even after winning the primary elections, she was not allowed to be the opposition's candidate for the 2024 presidential elections. She was replaced by Corina Yoris, who was also prevented from registering. Later, Edmundo González Urrutia became the temporary candidate.
On August 1, 2024, Machado wrote a letter in The Wall Street Journal. She said she had gone into hiding because she was worried about her safety and freedom.
Contents
Early Life and Education
María Corina Machado was born in Caracas, Venezuela, on 7 October 1967. She is the oldest of four sisters. Her father, Henrique Machado Zuloaga, was a well-known steel businessman. Her mother, Corina Parisca, was a psychologist. Her family has a history in Venezuela, including ancestors who were writers and fought against dictators.
Machado studied industrial engineering at Andrés Bello Catholic University. She also earned a master's degree in finance from IESA, a business school in Caracas. In 2009, she was part of the Yale World Fellows Program at Yale University.
In 1992, Machado started a foundation called Fundación Atenea. This foundation used private donations to help orphaned and troubled street children in Caracas. She also led the Opportunitas Foundation. Later, she left Fundación Atenea to keep it separate from her political work with Súmate.
Súmate: A Group for Fair Elections
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The group Súmate was created in 2001 by María Corina Machado and Alejandro Plaz. They were both concerned about the direction Venezuela was taking. Machado explained that she felt she had to do something to prevent the country from becoming divided. She believed it was important to use elections to solve problems peacefully.
Súmate helped gather signatures for a special vote in 2004. This vote was to decide if Hugo Chávez, who was president at the time, should continue in office. Chávez called the leaders of Súmate "conspirators" and said they were working for the U.S. government.
After the vote, members of Súmate faced accusations for receiving financial support from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). In 2005, Machado faced accusations related to a $31,000 grant from the NED for educational work. The New York Times said in 2005 that she was seen as a strong opponent of the Venezuelan government.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State said that the decision to pursue charges against her was part of President Chávez's efforts to scare people from participating in democracy. Human Rights Watch and other groups also expressed concern. Machado recognized that many Venezuelans supported Chávez, but she also said that the president was becoming less tolerant of different opinions.
Machado and Plaz were asked to meet with lawmakers in 2006 about Súmate's funding. They were not allowed into the hearing, even though they had received requests to be there. Machado also faced accusations for signing a document during a political event in 2002. She said she thought she was just signing an attendance sheet. The trial was stopped in 2006 due to problems with the legal process.
Running for President in 2011
In 2011, María Corina Machado announced she would run for president in the 2012 Venezuelan presidential election. The Los Angeles Times mentioned her as a possible candidate. Michael Shifter said she was a future presidential contender who could connect with many people. The Financial Times called her "the new face of the opposition."
On January 13, 2012, during a speech by President Chávez, Machado spoke up. She questioned him about problems like shortages of goods, crime, and the government taking over businesses. She said, "How can you say that you protect private property when you have been taking over small businesses; taking over and not paying is stealing." The opposition candidate who won the primary election to run against Chávez was Henrique Capriles Radonski. Machado accepted her defeat and said she would support Capriles.
Serving in the National Assembly
Becoming a Candidate
In February 2010, Machado left Súmate and announced she would run for a seat in the National Assembly of Venezuela. She represented an area in Miranda state. She was a member of the Justice First party, which was part of the Coalition for Democratic Unity (MUD). This group was against Chávez's party. When she announced her candidacy, she promised to defend the right of Venezuelans to think freely and live without fear.
In April 2010, Machado won the primary election for her party. She campaigned actively, even in areas that usually supported Chávez. She tried to highlight problems like crime, power outages, housing shortages, and high inflation.
Machado said that candidates from her group faced a lot of government propaganda. She also mentioned that it was hard to get money for her campaign because people were afraid of government reactions. The Economist noted that Venezuela's constitution says government officials should not favor one political group, but the election authority allowed it.
Chávez was accused of breaking campaign laws by using state television to criticize opponents and praise his supporters. He denied breaking the law. Machado said that while her team was visiting voters door-to-door, the ruling party's campaign was shown constantly on TV. She also said that when she was interviewed by the state-run channel, the interview was suddenly cut off and replaced with a rally where Chávez was speaking.
Election Victory
Machado won her election to the National Assembly on September 25, 2010. She received more votes than any other candidate in the country. She said that the president made a mistake by making the election about himself. She believed the results showed that Venezuelans did not want an authoritarian government. She stated, "A new phase begins today, and we've taken a big step toward the day when democratic values, freedom, justice and good governance prevail." She added, "We now have the legitimacy of the citizen vote. We are the representatives of the people." She concluded that Venezuela had clearly said no to a system like Cuba's.
Removal from Office
On March 21, 2014, Machado spoke at the Organization of American States (OAS) about the situation in Venezuela. After her speech, lawmakers who supported Maduro said her appearance at the OAS was against Venezuela's constitution. They then removed her from the National Assembly. Machado said that her removal was illegal and accused the head of the National Assembly, Diosdado Cabello, of running a "dictatorship."
Protests and Activism in 2014
Machado was a key leader in the protests against Nicolás Maduro in 2014. The Venezuelan Congress asked for an investigation into her for her role in the protests. Machado responded that in a dictatorship, repression increases when the government is weak. After being removed from the National Assembly, she led a march on 1 April 2014. She tried to return to her seat, but the National Guard stopped the demonstrators with tear gas.
In May 2014, a government official accused Machado and other opposition figures of plotting against the government. The government presented alleged emails as proof. However, one of the accused, Pedro Mario Burelli, said the emails were fake. He hired a cybersecurity company, Kivu, to check them. Kivu found no evidence of the alleged emails and said the government's evidence showed signs of being manipulated.
In November 2014, officials announced that Machado would be formally accused. Machado and others said these accusations were false. They believed the government created them to distract from Venezuela's economic problems.
From 2014 to 2021, Machado hosted a radio show called Contigo: Con María Corina Machado. She discussed politics and current events on the program.
Later Political Career
On February 1, 2019, Machado said she would run for president if Juan Guaidó called for elections. For the next presidential election, Machado was seen as a leading opposition candidate. She stated that her goal was to remove Maduro and defeat the government. She believed there were only two options: "We win with a huge majority or Maduro steals the election." On June 30, 2023, she was reportedly told she could not hold office for 15 years because of her role in anti-government protests.
2023 Presidential Primary Elections
On 14 August 2022, Machado confirmed she would participate in the 2023 Unitary Platform presidential primaries. She argued against the involvement of the National Electoral Council (CNE) in the election. She believed the CNE was part of a "criminal system" and supported a return to manual voting. Her campaign officially began in March 2023.
During her campaign, Machado criticized the traditional opposition leaders. She also stated she was open to negotiating a way for the current government to leave power peacefully.
On 30 June 2023, she was disqualified from holding office for fifteen years. This decision came after a request from another politician. The government linked her to alleged actions by Juan Guaidó and accused her of supporting international sanctions. Many international organizations and countries, including the United Nations and the European Union, rejected this disqualification. They called the ban "arbitrary and politically fabricated."
On 26 October 2023, Machado won the primary elections. The National Primary Commission declared her the opposition's candidate for president.
However, in January 2024, Venezuela's Supreme Court confirmed her 15-year disqualification. The court stated it was because she was involved in a "corruption plot" linked to Juan Guaidó. Machado then named Corina Yoris as her replacement candidate. Yoris was also unable to register, so Edmundo González Urrutia became the temporary replacement.
2024 Presidential Election
Even though Machado could not be the official candidate, she remained a key leader of the opposition. Much of the support for candidate Edmundo González came from Machado's backing.
The Telegraph newspaper suggested that if the opposition won, Machado would likely be the real leader of the government, even if González was formally in charge. The newspaper also compared the strong support for Machado to the rise of Hugo Chávez in 1998.
On July 4, González and Machado officially started their election campaign. What was planned as a small event turned into a large march with thousands of people.
The New York Times described Machado as an "energetic former legislator." Her main message was the promise to bring Venezuelans home by restoring democracy and improving the economy.
After the government announced election results, a political crisis began. On 1 August, Machado wrote a letter in The Wall Street Journal. She stated she had gone into hiding due to concerns for her safety. In the letter, she presented evidence she said showed the opposition had won the vote. She also stated that the government had removed witnesses from polling places.
Political Views
Machado is strongly against the current government's political ideas, known as chavismo. She has sometimes disagreed with other parts of the Venezuelan opposition. In 2011, she supported "popular capitalism," which means giving more power to individuals and businesses. Machado supports selling off state-owned companies in Venezuela, including the oil company PDVSA.
She has supported international sanctions against Venezuela. She has also called for outside help to remove Maduro's government for humanitarian reasons. In 2023, she ran in the opposition primary elections. After the government prevented her from running in the main election, she became the main supporter for the opposition candidate, Edmundo González.
Her political party is described as centrist liberal. Some media outlets have called Machado a radical or a right-wing politician.
Within Venezuela, Machado believes that politicians should not be allowed to be re-elected many times. She also supports same-sex marriage. In a 2024 interview, Machado spoke about making education available to all Venezuelans. She also discussed reforming the country's justice system.
Awards and Recognition
In May 2005, the U.S. president at the time, George W. Bush, welcomed Machado to the Oval Office. After their meeting, a White House spokesperson said the President was concerned about efforts to bother and scare Súmate and its leaders. In 2006, National Review called Machado a "reluctant heroine" and included her on a list of "Women the World Should Know" for International Women's Day.
In 2009, Machado was chosen as one of 15 people out of 900 applicants for the Yale World Fellows Program. This program at Yale University aims to build a global network of leaders and improve international understanding. The program's director said that each of the 2009 Yale World Fellows had shown great achievements and potential. The Yale World Fellows Program press release stated that Machado "devotes herself to defending democratic institutions and civil liberties through SUMATE, the nation's leading watchdog for electoral transparency." Machado later completed the program.
Awards and Honors
Machado received the 2024 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize from the Council of Europe. She was one of three finalists for the award. Along with Edmundo González, she was also awarded the Sakharov Prize on October 24, 2024.
In 2019, Machado received the Prize for Freedom from Liberal International. She was given the Cádiz Cortes Ibero-American Freedom Prize in 2015 for her strong defense of freedom and human rights. In 2018, Machado was named one of the BBC's 100 Most Influential Women.
Nobel Peace Prize Nomination
On August 16, 2024, the Inspira América Foundation and leaders from four universities began promoting Machado's nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. This award will be given in October 2025. They highlighted her "tireless fight for peace in Venezuela and the world." Legislators from Florida in the U.S. also sent a letter supporting her nomination on August 26. They stated that her "courageous and selfless leadership, and unyielding dedication to the pursuit of peace and democratic ideals" have been very important in gaining support for a peaceful solution to the election crisis.
Personal Life
Machado is divorced and has three children. Her children live outside Venezuela because Machado says their lives have been threatened.
See also
In Spanish: María Corina Machado para niños
