Macron meets with María Corina Machado and supports a democratic transition in Venezuela

French President Emmanuel Macron met with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado at the Elysee Palace on Monday. 

The meeting was part of a key effort to solidify international support for a political transition in Venezuela, according to the French president.

The two addressed the need to move toward a "peaceful" democratic change that respects the popular will in the country, amid a scenario still marked by institutional uncertainty after the capture of Nicolás Maduro in January.

"We discussed his commitment to freedom and the importance of achieving a democratic and peaceful transition in Venezuela," Macron wrote on X.

International support for the democratic cause

The meeting in Paris consolidates Machado's diplomatic offensive, which has kept her outside Venezuela since December, when she traveled abroad to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. 

Since then, the leader has intensified contacts with Western leaders to position the Venezuelan crisis as a global priority. The meeting with Macron represents one of the most relevant endorsements from Europe.

The French leader had already publicly expressed his support for Machado in recent months, highlighting her "courage" and her commitment to freedom in Venezuela, in contrast to decades of Chavista authoritarianism.

Next steps in Europe

After her stop in France, Machado will continue her European tour with a stop in Spain, where she will participate in a public act in Madrid's Puerta del Sol on April 18.

The leader has reiterated her intention to return to Venezuela in the coming weeks to promote a "national agreement" leading to free elections, a goal that, for now, still depends on international pressure and the definitive weakening of the regime's structures.

However, Delcy Rodriguez, who is the regime's interim leader, has insisted that the opposition leader must "answer" for her backing of international actions against the regime, including positions in favor of foreign intervention.

In the same vein, her brother and president of the legislative branch in Venezuela, Jorge Rodriguez, warned a few days ago that such conduct would not be covered by recent amnesty laws, leaving open the possibility of judicial reprisals if Machado returns to the country.