{"id":9142,"date":"2026-01-04T03:57:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-04T03:57:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=9142"},"modified":"2026-01-04T03:57:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-04T03:57:13","slug":"down-arrow-button-icon-38","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=9142","title":{"rendered":"Down Arrow Button Icon"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Months before the U.S. military arrested Venezuela\u2019s Nicol\u00e1s Maduro, opposition leader Mar\u00eda Corina Machado called for what she described as the most ambitious economic transformation in the nation\u2019s history\u2014a sweeping privatization aimed at reversing his policies and what she calls \u201cthe disaster this socialist system has wrought.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Appearing virtually on\u00a0the Fortune Global Forum stage in Riyadh, Machado, while in hiding from the Maduro regime, unveiled a bold vision to rebuild Venezuela\u2019s shattered economy through large-scale private investment. <\/p>\n

\u201cVenezuela will be the single biggest economic opportunity for decades to come in this region,\u201d she told Fortune<\/em>\u2019s Diane Brady at the forum\u2019s 2025 edition, weeks after winning the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her decades-long fight to restore democracy to Venezuela. \u201cWe\u2019re talking about an opportunity, business opportunity, of more than $1.7 trillion. This is unique.\u201d Machado has floated the $1.7 trillion figure before, an estimate produced by her economic advisory team.<\/p>\n

From ruin to renewal<\/h2>\n

Machado painted a stark picture of a nation that has plummeted from prosperity to poverty: \u201ca country that used to be the richest country in our region and the freest country in our region, and that has turned into one of the poorest.\u201d Being under socialist rule for decades, she said, has crippled industry, devastated infrastructure, and triggered an exodus of nearly a third of Venezuela\u2019s population. \u201cOur economy has collapsed. It\u2019s been over 80% down in the last [several] years,\u201d she said. \u201cOur people have been forced to flee just to survive.\u201d<\/p>\n

The International Monetary Fund estimated Venezuela\u2019s economy had declined by roughly 75% as of late 2022, also covering its migrant crisis. The left-wing think tank Center for Economic and Policy Research argued shortly afterward that, while this figure was accurate, it discounted the severe economic sanctions imposed by the U.S. on Venezuela for many years.<\/p>\n

The opposition leader described to Brady what she called a \u201cnarco-terrorist state\u201d built on repression and corruption, saying that \u201ccertainly Venezuela has turned into a safe haven for criminal activities from all over the world.\u201d She accused Maduro and his allies of financing their grip on power through gold smuggling, arms and drug trafficking, and human exploitation.<\/p>\n

The privatization blueprint<\/h2>\n

At the core of Machado\u2019s plan is a rapid and transparent privatization process. She estimates that more than 500 enterprises were \u201ctaken by the regime, confiscated, destroyed, but the infrastructure is there.\u201d She pledged strict oversight and rule of law from \u201cday one,\u201d aiming to lure investors back with stability and fiscal incentives. She pledged open markets and an approach that would be \u201cabsolutely strict\u201d in terms of rule of law and transparency, reminding Brady that Venezuela is currently in last place in terms of rule of law. To take one example, the World Justice Project recently ranked Venezuela No. 142, out of 142 countries.<\/p>\n

She also pointed out that Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world and the eighth largest natural gas reserve globally, \u201cbut currently our people don\u2019t even have gas even to cook. That\u2019s a disaster.\u201d Bloomberg reported in December 2024 that Venezuelans were turning to firewood and even their own furniture to cook after an explosion at a propane plant wiped out most of the country\u2019s transmission. \u201cThe socialist system has rotted,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Restoring the oil and gas sectors, she added, will demand both foreign capital and the return of Venezuela\u2019s diaspora. \u201cOur human talent, our people, our diaspora \u2026 is willing to come back as soon as Venezuela goes to work hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Call to investors and allies <\/h2>\n

Machado said she would welcome responsible private investment from \u201call over the world\u201d\u2014including the United States, Europe, China, and the Middle East\u2014provided all projects adhere to transparency and fair competition. Speaking to the forum in Riyadh, she also signaled strong interest in partnerships with Gulf nations.<\/p>\n

She called for an international front to expose and freeze assets linked to Maduro\u2019s circle. \u201cWe are asking all democratic countries around the world \u2026 to have a full disclosure of all the information they have regarding all the crimes Nicol\u00e1s Maduro and his cronies have committed,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Despite living in hiding, Machado was resolute about Venezuela\u2019s future. \u201cIf the regime finds me, I\u2019ll likely be disappeared,\u201d she said matter-of-factly, betraying a hint of emotion but quickly adding that her own dangers and struggles are no different from that of any Venezuelan who speaks out at this moment. \u201cI want you to know that I am absolutely convinced that we\u2019re moving into a transition that is going to be orderly. Venezuela is a cohesive society, we have no tensions, racial, religious, social, political, and 90% of our country wants the same, to live with dignity, with justice, certainly with freedom, and we want to bring our kids back home.\u201d<\/p>\n

This story was originally published on Oct. 27, 2025.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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