Maria Corina Machado’s Daughter Says Venezuela Is ‘Not Free Yet’

Ana Corina Sosa Machado, daughter of Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, spoke to ColombiaOne about her country's democratic progress and challenges. In an interview at the 2026 Concordia Annual Summit in New York, she accepted the Concordia Leadership Award for Public Sector on behalf of her mother, expressing both pride and responsibility for the cause.

Concordia honored Maria Corina Machado as the 2026 recipient for her leadership of Venezuela’s democracy movement and advocacy for institutional reform and the rule of law. Sosa Machado acknowledged significant progress but stressed that the democratic movement is not yet free, pointing to the continued detention of political prisoners as evidence.

She highlighted that almost 500 political prisoners remained in Venezuelan prisons, with estimates ranging from 485 to 600 people detained for political reasons. Sosa Machado emphasized the importance of international recognition for Venezuela's democratic change, noting that her mother's leadership has instilled a sense of agency among Venezuelans, particularly through citizen participation in the 2024 presidential election.

She recalled Venezuelans of all ages participating in monitoring and protecting the electoral process. Accepting the Concordia award for her mother represented not only a personal milestone but also recognition for the ongoing struggle for political freedom in Venezuela.