Hundreds of people gathered this Saturday in Madrid to support the leader of the Venezuelan opposition. Maria Corina Machadowho will receive the Nobel Peace Prize on Wednesday, a recognition which, according to them, also applies “to all the Venezuelan people”.
“All Venezuelans who want freedom and democracy have hope and we see ourselves reflected in this recognition given to María Corina,” said the opponent. Leopoldo Lopezwho resides in Madrid and who, last October, saw his nationality withdrawn by the Venezuelan government.
“The Nobel Prize belongs to 30 million Venezuelans“, “Peace and freedom in Venezuela” or “Rotten Maduro” were some of the messages carried by the participants, who particularly remembered the prisoners of this South American country, with posters showing the faces and names of some of those detained in Venezuelan prisons.
Among the participants, many were convinced that the leader of the opposition would be present at the ceremony. Nobel Prize ceremony on December 10 in Oslowhile others doubt that María Corina will be able to leave Venezuela – where she lives in hiding – to receive the prize, as the Norwegian Nobel committee assured that she would do.
Torches illuminated the center of Madrid
Participants formed a procession that lit up the center of Madrid with torches during the march, showing a flag of Venezuela large size.
Costumes of US President Donald Trump, a banana with the face of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and even animals with the country’s flag accompanied the procession.
“We want to simulate the torchlight march that happens in Oslo after the (Nobel) awards ceremony,” explained the coordinator of Vente Venezuela and the opposition coalition Comando con Venezuela in Spain. Jose Antonio Vegawho hopes that citizens “feel involved” in the awarding of the prize to María Corina.
Vega is part of the entourage of hundreds of Venezuelans who will accompany the opponent to the Nobel ceremony, which will also be joined by Latin American presidents, including the Argentine president, Javier Mileiwho announced this Saturday his desire to support Machado on Wednesday.
“I think that the defenders of freedom will be present there,” added Vega who, although happy with this recognition, declared feel pain for the prisoners of your countryfor which he declared that “the real celebration of Venezuelans will be when we can open the cell and eliminate all our companions”.
Messages of support and recognition to María Corina
The march was followed by an event in which different members of the Venezuelan opposition in Spain expressed their pride in the recognition that the Nobel Committee granted Wednesday to María Corina Machado.
There they signed a book with messages of support to María Corina, who will be delivered on Wednesday in Oslo, the former metropolitan mayor of Caracas Antonio Ledezma, José Antonio Vega and Leopoldo López.
“We Venezuelans know that María Corina represents that light that, in the midst of this darkness, conquered the darkness,” Ledezma said during his speech.
During the event, the speech of Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutiaopposition candidate in last year’s presidential elections, now exiled in Spain, who was unable to attend today’s event in Madrid because he is in Italy.
“Machado embodies and represents the spirit of an entire nation that never gives up and will soon implement the July 28 sovereign mandate to regain its freedom, peace and prosperity,” Urrutia said.
We also projected a few words from María Corina, who expressed her “joy” but did not mention whether she would finally be in Oslo next Wednesday to receive her Nobel Prize.