Bukele spoke with opposition leader María Corina Machado and expressed his support in the struggle to recover democracy in Venezuela

In a gesture of international support, El Salvador's president, Nayib Bukele, expressed his support for Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado and the Venezuelan people's effort to recover democracy. Machado confirmed this dialogue through her social media, where she shared details of her conversation with the Salvadoran president.

The opposition leader highlighted that Bukele praised the determination of the Venezuelan people in their struggle for freedom and emphasized the importance of respecting the results expressed by the citizens in the elections of July 28. Machado, for her part, thanked the constant support of the people and government of El Salvador, qualifying it as a firm and solidary support in defense of democratic values in Venezuela.

"I just spoke with President Nayib Bukele, who conveyed to me his admiration and support for the struggle for freedom of the Venezuelan people, as well as his demand for respect for popular sovereignty expressed on July 28. I thanked him for the firm and solidary commitment of the people of El Salvador and its government with our democracy," María Corina Machado stated in her message.

International rejection

The recent swearing in of Nicolás Maduro has been met with strong rejection both inside and outside Venezuela amidst accusations of having consummated a "coup d'état." Gonzalez Urrutia, recognized as the legitimate president by broad opposition sectors and supported by the United Democratic Platform (PUD), claimed that this investiture constitutes a flagrant violation of the Venezuelan Constitution and of the popular will expressed at the polls.

The Government of El Salvador was also among the first to condemn the announcement of the National Electoral Council (CNE), controlled by the dictatorial regime of Maduro, describing the results as a "fraud." They also reiterated that they will not reestablish diplomatic relations with Venezuela until genuine and transparent elections are held.

This stance adds to a growing wave of international rejection led by the United States, the European Union, Peru and Paraguay, who have denied legitimacy to Maduro's inauguration for a third term. The rejection reinforces pressure on the regime and underscores the need for democratic solutions to the political crisis in Venezuela.