The opposition leader in Venezuela María Corina Machado Parisca was born on October 7, 1967 in Caracas, into a wealthy family linked to the national steel industry. His family has roots in the country’s business elite, which marked his education in prestigious private institutions. He graduated as industrial engineer at the Andrés Bello Catholic University in 1989 and later specialized in Finance at the Institute of Higher Studies.
Before devoting himself to politics, Machado developed a business career. His technical training and experience in the private sector shaped his liberal view of economics and his defense of the free market, principles that would later be fundamental in his political discourse.
María Corina Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize 2025: personal life and family
Machado was married to businessman Ricardo Sosa Branger between 1990 and 2001, a marriage from which three children were born: Ana Corina, Ricardo and Henrique. For approximately a decade it has maintained a discreet relationship with lawyer Gerardo Fernándezalthough he has kept his personal life away from the media spotlight, concentrating on his political activity.
Their three children They currently live outside Venezuela for security reasons, a situation that reflects the political tensions and risks the family faces due to their opposition activism. Despite the distance, Machado has publicly expressed the strong bond he maintains with his children.
The initial activism of María Corina Machado
The turning point in María Corina’s life came during the political crisis of 2002, when Venezuela was experiencing deep polarization under the government of Hugo Chávez. That year he founded Súmate, a civil organization that became a key actor in the defense of the right to vote and the promotion of citizen participation mechanisms, especially the recall referendum.
Súmate organized the collection of signatures for the recall referendum against Hugo Chávez in 2004a process that generated enormous controversy and put Machado at the center of the national political debate. The Chavista Government accused her of receiving foreign financing and conspiring against the State, charges that she always denied. This experience made her a polarizing and visible figure in the opposition.
Parliamentary career
In September 2010, María Corina Machado was elected deputy to the National Assembly with the largest number and margin of votes of any representative in that race. His performance in parliament was marked by forceful speeches and direct confrontations with representatives of Chavismo, which earned him recognition as one of the most combative voices of the opposition.
During her period as a representative, Machado systematically denounced human rights violations, government corruption and the deterioration of democratic institutions. Her confrontational style and her refusal to engage in any type of negotiation with the Government differentiated her from other more moderate opposition leaders.
Vente Venezuela and opposition leadership
In 2013 he founded Vente Venezuela, a liberal-oriented political party that became his main political platform. Since then, she has consolidated her position as one of the main leaders of the Venezuelan opposition, especially among the most radical sectors that reject any dialogue with the Nicolás Maduro regime.
His leadership is characterized by a discourse of unwavering principles, defense of economic and political freedom, and a absolute rejection of the socialist model. This stance has generated both fervent admiration and criticism for its inflexibility.
The Maduro regime disqualified her politically in 2023, preventing her from running as a candidate in the 2024 presidential elections. Despite this ban, Machado won the opposition primaries with overwhelming support, becoming the undisputed figure of the anti-Chavista movement.
Given the legal impossibility of being a candidate, supported the candidacy of Edmundo González Urrutiamaintaining his role as moral leader and strategist of the opposition campaign. His ability to mobilize millions of Venezuelans, including the diaspora, demonstrated his political influence beyond any formal position.
A polarizing figure and, at the same time, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize
María Corina Machado is a deeply polarizing figure in Venezuela. For his followers, he represents incorruptible resistance against the dictatorship, a brave leader willing to sacrifice everything for democracy. Her critics, on the other hand, point to her as a representative of the economic elite disconnected from popular needs and accuse her of promoting extreme political positions.
What is indisputable is his ability to keep the opposition flame lit in moments of deep discouragementhis resistance in the face of government persecution and his unwavering determination. The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize recognizes precisely this trajectory of peaceful struggle for democracy in extraordinarily adverse conditions.
Source: Ambito
