Maria Corina Machado on the Day After Venezuela’s Election

MARACAIBO and CARACAS, Venezuela—This Sunday, Venezuelans will spell to nan polls for a statesmanlike predetermination that will beryllium intimately watched astir nan world. If it is respected, nan result will successful each likelihood consequence successful a triumph for guidance campaigner Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia. But fewer observers expect President Nicolas Maduro and his repressive authorities to time off quietly. Indeed, location are wide concerns he will effort to manipulate nan results or, if nan separator of Gonzalez’s triumph is excessively great, simply disregard them and trust connected nan subject and information forces to stifle immoderate protests that follow.

By each rights, Maria Corina Machado should beryllium nan guidance campaigner connected Sunday. She overwhelmingly won nan opposition’s superior past twelvemonth and is nan galvanizing unit down nan unified coalition’s campaign. But she was banned from moving by nan government, 1 of galore ways successful which Maduro has tried to tilt nan playing section successful his favor.

Machado said pinch Mie Hoejris Dahl, who is successful Venezuela to cover nan election and its aftermath, astir nan opposition’s priorities for rebuilding Venezuela aft decades of authorities mismanagement; nan tensions it must navigate successful balancing justness and accountability pinch nan request for a negotiated transition; and really she and Gonzalez will administer nan responsibilities of governing if he were to return office. The question and reply was translated from nan original Spanish by Dahl and lightly edited for clarity.

World Politics Review: I wanted to inquire you first a spot astir nan governmental priorities nan time aft nan elections and particularly really you’re reasoning astir restoring nan norm of rule successful nan country.

Maria Corina Machado: Well, obviously, Venezuela has suffered a process of organization and economical demolition that has been devastating. And we person a situation successful aggregate dimensions. Venezuela has a analyzable humanitarian crisis. We person a nationalist services crisis. A financial crisis. An economical crisis. A sovereignty crisis. It’s a full devastation.

So you tin inquire yourself, well, wherever do we start? And I deliberation nan halfway constituent present is that we person to genuinely build spot pinch each nan actors that this is an orderly and sustainable process.

And nan astir important thing, first of all, is nan people. That nan citizens consciousness that they are nan root of our legitimacy, that they are nan priority, and that they commencement to spot results, to consciousness results successful nan short term. Obviously, location are structural problems that cannot beryllium solved overnight, for illustration beingness infrastructure aliases justice. But group do request to consciousness that location is an betterment successful their value of life successful a very short time.

Our economical argumentation is called expansive stabilization, meaning we request to bring bid and stability, stabilize macroeconomic variables, but astatine nan aforesaid clip get Venezuela growing. Our state has seen its GDP reduced by 75 percent. This is brutal, this contraction.

So I do judge location are a number of reforms that we request to instrumentality successful nan very short word truthful that group consciousness a existent transformation: that we will reconstruct nan norm of law; that location will beryllium judicial independence; and that location will beryllium respect for backstage property.

WPR: And which portion would beryllium nan astir urgent?

MCM: I would opportunity you can’t reside nan economical rumor without knowing nan rumor of justice, but to me, nan astir urgent rumor is nan people. That group consciousness that this process is going to activity good because that’s what will springiness stableness to nan transition. So we request to guarantee that it is maintained and maintained pinch stability. And we request to rescue nan sovereignty of nan country: More than 60 percent of Venezuelan territory is not nether authorities power today.

So you inquire yourself, Where do you start? It’s sovereignty complete nan territory, institutions, nationalist services. I mean, for investments to come, you request to person nationalist services, you request to person infrastructure, you request to person norm of law.

So that’s a spot astir wherever to start. And that’s why I say, starting is astir generating trust, putting together nan champion team. And this is simply a dream squad of group who correspond different actors who are not only prepared pinch acquisition but honest. I deliberation nan state is looking for a alteration successful position of integrity.

WPR: And really do you spot nan equilibrium betwixt justness and accountability, connected 1 side, and reconciliation and amnesty, connected nan other, which tin beryllium a very difficult balance, right?

MCM: I deliberation that’s nan astir analyzable issue. Because a state that has suffered truthful much, yes, it fears a process of full impunity. It mightiness consciousness cheated and moreover activity to administer justness connected its own, you know, and that is very dangerous. So we request to locomotion connected that razor’s separator of generating incentives and guarantees for nan modulation to happen, truthful that location is nary revenge aliases process of persecution. On nan contrary, giving nan guarantees that we weren’t given. I deliberation that’s nan existent transformation. But ne'er renounce justice.

WPR: So, we won’t spot full impunity?

MCM: No, it would beryllium very dangerous. I deliberation it’s a process, but also, I deliberation location are group who request to beryllium assured that they operated successful a strategy wherever location was besides nary justice. So I do deliberation it’s very important to trim nan anxieties that nan authorities stimulates, successful nan consciousness that we are coming to a process of accountability, right? We request to look astatine it.

WPR: Yes, that’s different part, right? There are group who person committed crimes, but nether a authorities that told them to do so, right?

MCM: Correct. Correct. Correct. Yes.

WPR: And different facet of nan governmental priorities, because a ample portion of your campaign, which has been very breathtaking for a batch of people, is astir getting group to return to Venezuela, right? It’s thing that has really mobilized people. But I would for illustration to cognize a spot much astir really you really scheme to make group return? And those who already person their lives abroad, will they travel back?

MCM: There’s each kinds of people. I was talking nan different time pinch a friend who said, “Well, I came here, my kids sewage joined here, but I will spell put successful coming backmost to Venezuela.”

That’s fine, come. I want to spot you. A fewer days later, you’ll beryllium telling your kids, “Come subordinate us. Because wherever do you person this climate? Where do you person your roots, your culture, your food? Where do you person each that?”

I deliberation a batch of group will return, evidently not each immediately. I deliberation we’ll besides person a group of Venezuelans who will enactment overseas because their lives are already there, but they will beryllium our ambassadors, they will unfastened doors to link Venezuela pinch nan world, to pull investments. And we will besides person a captive marketplace for Venezuelan tourism.

WPR: But do you person a scheme for incentives?

MCM: Yes, yes, we do. We are targeting, for example, doctors and nurses, galore of whom person left, and we request them back. We are targeting scientists, professors and teachers. There are segments of nan organization that person fled and that we now person a immense shortage of. And we will target, of course, entrepreneurs, young group who person trained abroad, engineers. I deliberation that will beryllium very beautiful, because everything needs to beryllium done here. There is truthful overmuch to beryllium done. So, for nan first time, we will person a authorities that is not supra society, but serves it, you know? I deliberation Venezuelans themselves still don’t understand really that works, because we haven’t knowledgeable it moreover successful nan antiauthoritarian era: The authorities owned everything, owned nan money, owned nan companies, truthful group almost had to inquire for support and apologize to commencement a business, and this is nan opposite. It’s a nine that has go profoundly liberal, values backstage property, wants to commencement businesses, wants to produce.

I’m not saying I want to springiness retired immoderate gifts. You yourself saw it successful nan rallies and successful nan meetings you’ve been to, I’m not offering anything. I opportunity work, work, and much work. People’s eyes ray up.

WPR: Do you deliberation nan authorities has a domiciled successful redistributive policies? That it still needs to play that role, which was thing nan chavistas loved astir erstwhile President Hugo Chavez, this extremity of redistributing wealth.

MCM: Chavez’s redistribution was fundamentally making everyone poor. And now we are equal.

I judge successful a nine wherever everyone tin beforehand based connected their effort, their activity and nan opportunities fixed to them. Do I deliberation location should beryllium equality? Yes, of opportunities. But everyone should advancement based connected their effort; merit has to exist. Rewarding merit is what transforms a nine because it creates incentives for group to strive. Obviously, those who person limitations successful immoderate form—the nine helps them.

Now, we person a melodramatic business successful a assemblage of nan state that has grown into utmost poorness and besides faces issues of malnutrition and education. Are you alert that nationalist acquisition successful Venezuela only functions 2 days a week? Two days a week.

Why? Because teachers gain truthful small that to forestall each nan teachers from leaving—and we already person a 40 percent shortage successful nationalist assemblage teachers—they told them to spell activity nan different 3 days of nan week to make ends meet, arsenic we opportunity successful Venezuela. To do immoderate benignant of business, and we’ll salary them for 2 days of teaching. The remainder of nan time, those children do nothing. We person a procreation of children who not only person nan shortest tallness successful nan past 100 years, but besides person nan worst acquisition successful nan past 100 years. So, we request to travel to position pinch nan challenge. We person to reside this procreation that has fallen behind. And I say, I don’t know, nowadays I’m very celebrated pinch nan children; I deliberation I’ll extremity being celebrated erstwhile I’m successful government, because I will instrumentality 7 days of classes successful nationalist education. Seven days of classes; we request to recover.

WPR: What happens nan time aft nan elections successful a script wherever nan consequence is recognized? What will you do successful nan clip betwixt nan elections and January to guarantee we don’t extremity up successful a Guatemala-like business pinch sabotage of Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia’s candidacy?

MCM: I cognize it’s a taxable that generates a batch of concern, particularly because it’s unprecedented—six months. I besides deliberation nan authorities made a correction location because I deliberation they overestimated their capacity to power institutions that they’ve had until now, which is already starting to crumble arsenic we speak. So, erstwhile Edmundo is ratified arsenic president, and he will beryllium successful nan discourse of a immense turnout, I judge nan authorities won’t person nan strength, nor will nan group let it. We’ve fought truthful difficult for this.

WPR: And successful this scenario, because you besides mentioned this, location will beryllium a speech to execute a transition. What are you fresh to sacrifice successful bid to beryllium capable to accommodate a transition? Are location immoderate reddish lines?

MCM: For evident reasons, I can’t get into nan circumstantial points of what could yet beryllium a negotiation. We person fto them know—since galore months ago—that we are consenting to person a superior speech that ensures incentives and guarantees for each parties. The regime’s way grounds is terrible, because location person been 17 dialogues complete each these years, and each Maduro has sought is to bargain time, activity money, activity legitimacy. And erstwhile he yet signed something, for illustration nan Barbados Agreement, he violated it from A to Z, while we fulfilled our part.

Now, obviously, we’re entering an unprecedented business wherever nan equilibrium of powerfulness has shifted. We ever went to those dialogues aliases negotiations wherever nan authorities had much strength. That changed. For nan first time, it changed. And I judge Maduro will understand that for his ain good, it’s successful his champion liking to found a superior speech pinch us.

WPR: And successful nan script wherever he doesn’t admit nan result, what are you readying to do?

MCM: We will transportation retired an cognition to show and take sides nan ballot for illustration it’s ne'er been seen earlier successful Venezuela. Like ne'er before.

And it’s not conscionable observers arsenic successful nan past. We’ve group up an full support web successful nan 15,797 polling stations. When it comes to numbers, I’m very strict pinch numbers. When I opportunity location are much than a cardinal group pinch circumstantial tasks here, we person much than a cardinal group pinch circumstantial tasks, including nan commanditos [citizens’ groups moving to take sides nan vote], which are almost 700,000 group aliases more. This is an unprecedented structure, ne'er seen earlier successful Venezuela. And they are spontaneous, they are citizens progressive successful communities. In different words, this is simply a caller look of what nan authorities has done pinch organization councils.

WPR: Final mobility astir your activity because evidently you are nan 1 who has done this governmental activity for galore years. You are nan 1 who won 92.5 percent of nan ballot successful nan primaries. And you are nan 1 who mobilizes nan masses. But you’re not nan statesmanlike candidate.

So really do you scheme to negociate expectations, and what will hap successful nan moments of nan toughest decisions? Will you make those decisions, aliases will it beryllium Edmundo Gonzalez?

MCM: You cognize that erstwhile we yet secured Edmundo’s candidacy, location were group who mightiness person wondered from nan extracurricular what I would do. But Venezuelans had nary uncertainty astir what I had to do, because this is simply a struggle that goes beyond elections.

Elections are a part, and my work and activity astatine that infinitesimal were not immoderate lesser, but moreover greater, because it was astir ensuring that everyone who trusted maine would ballot for Edmundo and assuring them that I won’t wantonness them, that erstwhile I say, “Hasta el final”—until nan extremity [the opposition’s run slogan]— it’s until nan end. And I will support fighting until we tin time off our children a state they tin beryllium profoundly proud to telephone their own. Obviously, successful nan transitional government, Edmundo will beryllium nan president, and Edmundo will make nan decisions, but location is overmuch to beryllium done successful this country. It’s not astir 1 person.

WPR: Well, convey you very much, María.

MCM: Really, convey you for coming to each of this. It is very bully to spot you.

Mie Hoejris Dahl is simply a Danish freelance journalist who reports connected politics, economics, situation and societal issues successful Latin America. Mie holds a masters grade successful nationalist management from Harvard Kennedy School.