Machado Says Venezuela Could Become Key U.S. Ally in Latin America After Maduro

María Corina Machado, Venezuela’s opposition leader, says her country could become Washington’s strongest partner in Latin America once Nicolás Maduro leaves power.

Speaking from hiding after receiving direct threats, she tied Maduro’s departure to a shift that would reshape trade, security, and migration across the region.

She argues that Maduro no longer trusts his own military and instead relies on repression against the weak. More than 800 political prisoners remain in detention under inhumane conditions.

For Machado, these abuses reveal that Maduro’s control is fragile and that Venezuelan society is increasingly organized for change. The pressure on Caracas is not only internal.

In 2020, U.S. prosecutors charged Maduro and his top aides with drug-trafficking conspiracies, calling his government a “narco-terrorist” structure.

Since then, Washington has intensified sanctions and interdiction efforts in the Caribbean. Recently, U.S. forces destroyed a vessel linked to Venezuelan smugglers, underlining a shift toward deterrence at sea.

Machado connects these developments to a wider regional picture. She says that if Venezuela transitions, Cuba and Nicaragua could follow, potentially leaving the Americas without authoritarian regimes for the first time in decades.

For her, this would change the hemisphere’s balance, giving Washington new leverage in trade and energy. The economic message is central. Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves but remains cut off from most markets.

Machado insists that, once order and security return, investment can flow back, institutions can be rebuilt, and millions of Venezuelan migrants may return. She claims that the opposition has a 100-day plan ready to stabilize the country and restore confidence.

The business implications are significant. Today, companies face sanctions, compliance risks, and disrupted shipping routes in the Caribbean. But if a transition opens Venezuela, firms could regain access to vast oil supplies and a market of 28 million people.

For the U.S., that would mean not only energy diversification but also a reliable partner in regional security. The story behind her words is as important as the message itself.

Machado speaks under constant threat, yet her framing moves beyond local politics. She positions Venezuela’s crisis as a regional economic and security issue, where the outcome affects trade lanes, investment flows, and the migration of millions.

That mix of risk and opportunity explains why Washington now treats Venezuela not only as a political challenge but also as a strategic market waiting to reopen.