In recent days, there has been a growing spotlight on María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader and recent Nobel Peace Prize laureate. While she has garnered attention, it is crucial to examine her lobbying for increased U.S. sanctions and military involvement in Venezuela—a stance that could exacerbate the ongoing humanitarian crisis, which has already claimed countless lives.
The following analysis critiques the misleading narrative surrounding U.S. policy on Venezuela and questions the integrity of the Nobel Peace Prize, revealing how absurd such claims have become. Unfortunately, when such absurdities gain visibility, it often signals an impending escalation of the crisis.
By Joseph Bouchard, a journalist and researcher from Québec specializing in security and democracy in Latin America. His articles have been featured in Responsible Statecraft, Reason, The Diplomat, Le Devoir, and RealClearPolitics, among others. Originally published at Common Dreams.
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in late September showcased conflicting global perspectives. In a typical display of hubris, U.S. President Donald Trump delivered an incendiary speech filled with paranoia and imperial aspirations, including claims that climate change is a hoax and dismissing the effects of immigration on London.
In stark contrast, leaders such as Colombia’s Gustavo Petro, Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Chile’s Gabriel Boric used their platforms to advocate for democracy, human rights, action against climate change, and a fight against growing authoritarianism on the global stage.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado leveraged the UNGA as a platform to lobby for further U.S. intervention aimed at ousting President Nicolás Maduro. She has frequently called for measures to achieve what she terms the “total asphyxiation of the Venezuelan economy.”
The opposition also organized protests outside the Secretariat Building, condemning Maduro and urging global intervention. Pedro de Mendonça, the Press Director for Machado’s campaign, stated, “Maduro is not the legitimate president of Venezuela, but the head of the Cartel of the Suns and the Tren de Aragua.” This marked a clear call for intervention, further emphasized by Machado’s retweets.
Hoy #27Sep, desde la ONU, los venezolanos lo decimos claro: Maduro no es presidente legítimo de Venezuela, sino el jefe del Cartel de Los Soles y del Tren de Aragua. Por eso, esta delegación que ha venido con el nombre de Venezuela no representa al país, sino a la droga y al… pic.twitter.com/z69usMAzkB
— Pedro Antonio de Mendonça (@PedroDeMendonca) September 27, 2025
Machado has been a pivotal figure in Venezuelan politics for over twenty years, steering the opposition further to the right. She cites Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan as inspirations and promotes “Popular Capitalism,” a model introduced by the dictator Augusto Pinochet, aimed at privatizing various state sectors and prioritizing U.S. energy interests in a “free Venezuela.”
During her campaign, she has met with American oil executives, flaunting her ties to the U.S. She previously collaborated with organizations like the U.S. Agency for International Development and has been associated with the National Endowment for Democracy and the International Republican Institute. Her close ties span back to the George W. Bush administration.
Machado played a key role in the failed 2002 coup attempt against Hugo Chávez, supporting the Carmona Decree that suspended the constitution and dissolved the National Assembly, ultimately appointing oligarch Pedro Carmona as president. The coup crumbled within 48 hours due to widespread public resistance.
While the UNGA proceedings unfolded, opposition representatives purportedly met with members of the Trump administration. During this time, Machado and other prominent figures inundated social media with calls for a global movement to overthrow Maduro.
Juan Guaidó, the former opposition leader promoted by the U.S. as Venezuela’s legitimate president, also lobbied Trump administration officials for an increase in “counter-narcotics” operations in the country. Both Machado and Guaidó have labeled the Venezuelan government as “criminal” and “illegitimate,” while branding Maduro a “drug trafficker and terrorist.” The rhetoric culminated in a barrage of tweets, press releases, and interviews that echoed calls for the world to dismantle his “regime.” This echoes familiar narratives from American foreign policy history, particularly in how the Trump administration has merged the War on Drugs with the War on Terror. The label of “narco-terrorist” used against Maduro raises concerns about potential military actions by the U.S., which could further destabilize the region.
Contrary to how the opposition portrays the situation, many of these protests lack organic grassroots support, and the U.S. response has not been authentic. Rather, they arise from American energy interests and are promoted by influential think tanks. While they construct an image of a broad global movement, numerous polls indicate that a significant portion of both Americans and Venezuelans oppose military intervention in Venezuela.
Claims that Maduro leads the “Cartel of the Suns” have been debunked by credible sources, including InSight Crime, which receives State Department funding, as well as by several Latin American governments. This rhetoric echoes the post-9/11 narrative where dissent against intervention was equated with support for terrorism.
Despite the U.S. being allied with larger drug-producing countries, the focus remains on Venezuela, a country that is nowhere near the top of the drug trafficking chain in Latin America. The pursuit of a militarized “War on Drugs” has proven ineffective, as the U.S. has consistently ignored viable solutions, such as tackling demand, enhancing living conditions, or considering drug legalization.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration designated Tren de Aragua (TDA) as an international terrorist organization, claiming it operates with support from Maduro. Prominent members of the Trump administration, such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have labeled Maduro as a narco-terrorist and illegitimate dictator, advocating for regime change.
The incendiary rhetoric from the Trump administration and its allies, including Machado’s camp, has often paved the way for military operations on both domestic and foreign fronts. This has included drone strikes against fishing boats, an action that raises serious ethical concerns (considered war crimes).
The Trump administration has exploited alleged TDA connections to facilitate the deportation of Venezuelan migrants, a move publicized in unappealing viral videos. Machado and her supporters have contributed to creating this perilous reality.
It’s important to recognize that these actions are not taken under the guise of promoting democracy or combating drug trafficking. The Trump administration has demonstrated a tendency to undermine American democracy at home while supporting oppressive regimes abroad. Just recently, the administration was signing deals for cheap oil and deportation flights with Maduro, the very dictator it now seeks to overthrow.
The U.S. has a troubling history of backing drug traffickers when it suits its interests, such as the Contras and the far-right paramilitaries in Colombia, who currently dominate South American drug trafficking. The American security apparatus has shown little inclination to pursue effective solutions to the drug crisis, such as reducing demand or improving social conditions.
The opposition’s calls for complete economic capitulation to U.S. corporate interests could plunge Venezuela back into the conditions that initially precipitated Hugo Chávez’s rise to power.
Overall, this ongoing struggle is less about democracy or drug enforcement and more about protecting the interests of powerful entities, particularly within the oil, gas, and mining sectors, as Venezuela possesses some of the largest oil reserves in the world. A total coup would not only be disastrous but would add another chapter to the troubling legacy of U.S. military interventions in Latin America.
