Machado Calls for Freedom and Family Unity at Cornell Forum, Denounces Venezuelan "Narco-Terrorist Regime"

Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado passionately advocated for the reunification of families and the restoration of freedom in Venezuela during her participation in the forum "Venezuela's Epic Fight Against a Narco-Terrorist Regime" at Cornell University. The event, held on November 5, 2025, in Kaufmann Auditorium (G64), was organized by The Cornell Political Union and The Alexander Hamilton Society, featuring Machado alongside Edmundo González Urrutia, the elected president of Venezuela.

Machado delivered a powerful statement, asserting, “Queremos nuestro futuro de vuelta, queremos nuestras familias juntas, porque nuestra lucha no solo es política se trata de defender la idea de que la libertad no se negocia” (We want our future back, we want our families together, because our struggle is not just political, it is about defending the idea that freedom is not negotiable). Her remarks underscored the profound personal and societal impact of the ongoing crisis in Venezuela.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner has consistently characterized the Venezuelan government as a "criminal narco-terrorist structure" that has seized state power and institutions. This claim aligns with her long-standing criticism of the Maduro regime, which she argues has transformed the nation into a hub for illicit activities and an ally of adversaries to the United States. Machado has previously praised former President Donald Trump's strategy against these alleged networks, including efforts to cut off funding from drug trafficking.

Machado's Nobel Peace Prize, awarded in October 2025, recognized her "tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy." Despite being barred from running in the 2024 presidential election, she emerged as a unifying figure for the opposition, supporting Edmundo González Urrutia, who is widely believed to have won the election despite the regime's declared victory.

The forum provided a platform to discuss the country's political and institutional deterioration, highlighting the humanitarian crisis that has seen nearly 8 million Venezuelans flee the nation. Machado's vision for a liberated Venezuela includes the dismantling of criminal networks, the return of the diaspora, and the re-establishment of robust democratic institutions. Her participation at Cornell emphasized the international dimension of Venezuela's struggle and the call for global support in achieving a democratic transition.