Panamanian-born Miranda is eight years old. She sat on her father’s shoulders waving a Venezuelan flag she has never seen flown in her homeland. The crowd on Panama City’s Avenida Cuba erupted as Guaco’s music played through loudspeakers. They were all waiting for María Corina Machado.
The Venezuelan opposition leader arrived in Panama on Thursday as part of a regional tour. She called this stop “the scale of the return to build the country we love” [Translated from Spanish]. Machado spoke directly to the Venezuelan diaspora in Panama, a community that has grown significantly over the past decade. Many families brought their children to hear her speak about a future free from persecution.
Panama currently holds custody of the original electoral records from Venezuela’s last presidential election. The Panama electoral records custody arrangement came after the Organization of American States requested their protection. These documents show Edmundo Gonzalez won the election, a result Panama officially recognizes.
Machado Confirms Candidacy for New Presidential Elections
During a press conference in Panama City, Machado made her intentions clear. “I will be a candidate, but there could be others. Of course. I would love to compete with everyone, with anyone who wants to be a candidate” [Translated from Spanish], she told reporters from La Estrella de Panama.
The opposition movement now calls for fresh elections. This represents a shift from recognizing Gonzalez as president-elect to demanding a new electoral process. Machado explained a three-phase strategy developed with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“Phase 1 is stabilization, phase 2 is recovery and phase 3 is the transition with elections”, Machado said. “We evaluate this with serenity and today we understand that to favor, accompany and facilitate this plan, it is necessary that this process culminates as a phase in a presidential electoral process” [Translated from Spanish].
The plan follows the capture of Venezuelan regime leader Nicolás Maduro. He currently faces legal proceedings in the United States. Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, wants elections that are “impeccable” with participation from millions of Venezuelans who could not vote in the last election.
Diaspora Dreams of Returning to a Free Venezuela
The International Organization for Migration reports that 7.8 million Venezuelans live outside their country. Most reside in Colombia, Peru and the United States. In Panama, Venezuelans represent about 38 percent of migrants entering the country. Official estimates show more than 77,000 Venezuelans currently live in Panama.
Miranda’s parents have lived in Panama for 12 years. “We came because of the proximity, and because Panama had a lot of Venezuela. Its people, the culture, being close to family” [Translated from Spanish], her mother said while wearing the vinotinto jersey of Venezuela’s national soccer team. Tears streamed down her face as she continued.
“We left because the situation was already unsustainable. Everything you can imagine in terms of insecurity happened to us and my husband and I wanted a future. Unfortunately in Venezuela we did not see it possible and we had to emigrate and plant roots and start a family here” [Translated from Spanish].
Hundreds of families like Miranda’s came to show support. Some have lived in the isthmus for over 13 years. Most do not plan to move back to Venezuela. But they all dream of a homeland that is free, without persecution, where their children can meet their grandparents and visit the beaches and national parks they grew up loving.
Opposition Unity on Display in Panama City
Machado arrived at the diaspora meeting with an energy between rock star and figure of devotion. She wore a white shirt, her hair in a ponytail, with many rosaries hanging around her neck. “A la venezolana!” she shouted as the crowd cheered back. Young people approached her crying, telling her how much they love her and that they dream of going to Venezuela. Followers stretched out their arms just to touch her skin.
But Machado is not a messiah. She has placed her faith and trust in the United States government, even handing her Nobel Prize to President Donald Trump. The US discourse has focused on Venezuela’s economy but said little about restoring democracy. Trump has even shared his desire for Venezuela to become another US state.
The real test will be the next elections in Venezuela. No date has been set yet. A transparent electoral victory would open the door to a Venezuela beyond American plans. “The fourth phase, that is ours, is the reconstruction of our country” [Translated from Spanish], Machado declared firmly.
For that, a united opposition is needed. In Panama, Machado appeared alongside opposition leaders including Antonio Ledezma, Delsa Solórzano, Juan Pablo Guanipa, Biago Pirelli, César Pérez Vivas and Leopoldo López. They all share one thing in common. Every one of them suffered persecution under the Nicolás Maduro regime.
The crowd on Avenida Cuba did not disperse for hours. Parents held children who waved flags for a country they had never seen. Grandparents sang songs from their youth. And María Corina Machado promised them all that the return journey had already begun.