Thank you, Maria Corina! | By: Carolina Jaimes Branger

Carolina Jaimes Branger

I am writing this article on Thursday, July 25, so I have no way of knowing how Venezuela will wake up today, Monday. But regardless of that, I feel that I owe a huge thank you to María Corina Machado for her courage and determination in the fight for freedom and democracy in Venezuela. In the midst of a political panorama marked by repression and oppression, her figure grew until it became immense, necessary, and hopeful.

The street demonstrations have been something never seen before in Venezuela, not even with a popular and populist leader like Hugo Chavez. People love her, admire her and, more importantly, trust her because she has brought back something that we Venezuelans had lost years ago: hope.

I have known María Corina for many years, even before she was in Súmate. At that time of El Firmazo I saw her as so intelligent, so honest, so capable, that I think I was one of the first people to suggest to her that she could become president of the republic. I later disagreed with her when she called for abstention in 2005, but in the 2012 primaries I gave her my vote.

Then came La Salida, and her two new calls for abstention, with which I did not agree and that is why I did not vote for her in these recent primaries. But when I won the primary I did what I did in 2013: actively participate in the campaign of the person who had won them, Henrique Capriles. This time I campaigned for her and for Edmundo. I saw her grow as a leader, finally taking the electoral route, already convinced that abstention does not delegitimize any government. But what came after was a tsunami…

María Corina Machado has been a tireless opposition leader, who challenged the Chávez regime first and then that of Nicolás Maduro with courage and conviction, becoming a symbol of resistance for the vast majority of Venezuelans who call for change. She has faced threats, persecution and defamation from the regime, but she has never given up her fight. Many thought she would not give up her position, perhaps because of the motto “until the end,” but she had the gallantry and, above all, the humility, to give it first to Corina Yoris and then to Edmundo González. That made her grow in the eyes of those who did not imagine that scenario and made those who expected her to remain stagnant there waiting for her habilitation tremble. She knew how to put the interests of the country before her personal ambitions and that is admirable.

Her voice has become a beacon of hope for those who want the country to take a different direction and for those who dream of returning to Venezuela. She has also inspired thousands of people to not be afraid to speak out against the dictatorship and corruption. Her tenacity is an example.

The regime has put all kinds of obstacles in her way. And she has overcome them one by one, remaining firm in her commitment to democracy and freedom, proving that her crusade for a more just and prosperous country is worth it. In the midst of darkness and repression, María Corina Machado has become a light for many Venezuelans in the fight against tyranny.

Her sacrifice and dedication in the defense of human rights and democracy in Venezuela deserve all our recognition. At this crucial moment for our country, I thank María Corina and other leaders like her for their courage and commitment, which will remain as an example for all those who fight in the world for a free and democratic country. Her legacy will endure not only in memory, but in the hearts of all those who yearn for a better future for Venezuela.

I just read a message that comes to me very appropriate to end this article. It says: Hope is wanting something to happen. Faith is believing that it will happen. And courage is making it happen. Thank you María Corina for your courage! Thank you for your unwavering commitment to and for freedom and justice in Venezuela! I hope to see you in the near future as president of our republic!

@cjaimesb