Foreign Minister Yván Gil pointed out that if the percentages mentioned by María Corina Machado regarding the alleged involvement of the Venezuelan population in the drug trade were followed, this involvement would even reach their families and friends, which he considers exaggerated. In the statement released, Gil also pointed out that these statements by the opposition leader link her to privileged sectors and the rejection of fuel within society, while the debate continues over alleged pacts with foreign armed groups, as well as accusations of delegitimization of the Venezuelan people. As Europa Press reports, Machado’s recent comments and the ruling party’s reaction intensified political confrontation and suspicions over alleged foreign ties.
Europa Press reported that both Gil himself and President Nicolás Maduro linked Machado to a political current that they said sought to support “rancid oligarchies” and international support to gain power. According to media, Maduro stated that 89 percent of the Venezuelan population rejects María Corina Machado because of her comments on the connection between Venezuelan society and the drug trade. The head of state also attributed this level of disapproval to Machado’s participation in events outside the country, which, in his opinion, increased the distance between the head of state and citizens.
As Europa Press detailed, Maduro strongly criticized a sentence he attributed to the opposition leader that said “60 percent of the Venezuelan population is involved in the drug trade.” The president claimed that if he accepted this logic, in a family of five, three would be involved in illegal drug activity. He described the comment as alarming and offensive and ensured that such statements led to greater social rejection, which he described as part of a “fascist campaign”. Maduro noted that this campaign had very little traction among Venezuelans and insisted that Machado was “widely rejected” across the country.
The Venezuelan president also linked the discredit he attributed to Machado to his attitude toward the United States. According to Europa Press, Maduro explained that criticism of the leader increased after she allegedly asked for U.S. support for a “gringo-imperialist invasion” as part of a trip to Norway to accept the Nobel Peace Prize, which she ultimately did not take part in. The president publicly described that versions were circulating in Norwegian territory about an alleged fractured vertebra that Machado suffered while trying to leave the country. He reported that the opponent secretly left Caracas disguised and wearing a wig, later took a boat to Curaçao and boarded a flight to Oslo with a stopover in the USA.
Turning to international politics, Europa Press reported that Maduro used the same space to denounce the United States’ seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker. The president argued that the measure was justified in the fight against drug trafficking in the waters of the Caribbean and the Pacific and assured that Venezuela would “take all necessary measures to ensure free trade, respect for international law and the defense of the country.” Maduro also accused UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk of remaining silent on the matter, calling it “piracy” and pointing out that the seizure was publicly reported by former President Donald Trump.
Gil reiterated the position of the Venezuelan executive through a message on his Telegram channel, replicated by Europa Press, in which he ironically commented on the figures presented by the opponent related to drug trafficking. The Chancellor also noted that Machado’s statements and attitudes reflect a tradition of contempt for the people, and also referred to alleged agreements with criminal organizations and with Colombian paramilitaries linked to former presidents Álvaro Uribe and Iván Duque. Gil also accused the opposition leader of trying to “extradition Essequibo” and give up national resources, portraying her as part of a sector seeking power at the expense of Venezuelan interests.
Europa Press concluded that the controversy surrounding the words attributed to María Corina Machado, as well as the institutional reaction, outlines the current framework of tension in Venezuelan politics, with the figure of Machado being the focus of recurring criticism from senior representatives of the Chavista government. The media emphasized that the recent episodes related to the foreign policy of the United States and the confiscation of oil reserves added new elements to the political conflict and aggravated disputes between the different blocs facing each other in the country.
About The Author
