Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Colina Machado has released a “freedom manifesto” outlining a vision for a “new era” for the country without strongman Nicolas Maduro.
The four-page document, dated Nov. 9 and released Tuesday, lists the pillars of democracy she says all Venezuelans are entitled to, including the right to vote, assemble and exercise free speech.
The document, which borrows language from other democratic frameworks such as the US Declaration of Independence, calls for decentralizing power from government and returning it to the people. “Every Venezuelan is born with unalienable rights, given not by man but by our Creator,” the document reads in part.
Machado, who read the entire manifesto in a 15-minute video from an undisclosed location, declared that President Maduro’s tight grip on power was nearing an end. Machado was forced into hiding after a disputed election last year in which government-run election authorities declared Maduro the winner.
“A new Venezuela will emerge from the ashes, renewed in spirit, united in purpose, and like a reborn phoenix, fierce, radiant and unstoppable,” she said.
CNN has reached out to the Venezuelan government for comment.
David Smilde, a Venezuela expert at Tulane University, said Mr. Machado released the manifesto in an effort to refocus attention on the Venezuelan people’s struggle for democracy and assure supporters that Mr. Maduro has a plan for the country if he ultimately steps down.
He said the manifesto resembled a “prototype constitution,” but noted that Machado did not say whether he would suspend the current constitution, impose a new one or convene a constituent assembly. “So the obvious question is, what is the situation with this?” he said.
Machado’s declaration comes as President Maduro faces a U.S. military buildup off Venezuela’s Caribbean coast. The United States has assembled more than a dozen warships and about 15,000 troops in the region as part of the Pentagon’s mission to disrupt drug trafficking from Latin America. It is considered the largest US military presence in the region since the 1989 invasion of Panama.
U.S. officials say President Donald Trump is still weighing whether to carry out an attack inside Venezuela, but he has suggested a diplomatic window may be opening.
President Trump said Monday that he was prepared to speak directly with Maduro at “certain times,” suggesting he believes there is a path to removing Maduro that doesn’t involve dropping bombs or sending in special forces.
President Maduro signaled Monday night that he was open to dialogue with his U.S. counterpart. “Anyone who wants to talk to Venezuela will do so to their face,” he said on state television when asked to respond to Trump’s remarks.
The Venezuelan government denounced the military buildup as an attempt to oust President Maduro from power.
Machado, who has welcomed U.S. pressure, said in a manifesto that Maduro had committed crimes against humanity, including torture, murder and enforced disappearances, and said he should be held accountable for his actions. Venezuela has denied such claims in the past.
Smilde, whose research focuses on chavismo, a leftist ideology associated with President Maduro’s political party, pointed out that Machado’s call for justice does not mention reconciliation among Venezuelans.
“She’s not trying to reach out to Chavezmo here at all and say, ‘We need this reconciliation process. We’re all Venezuelans.'” That’s not the case. So you can see that this is essentially a document addressed to the international community,” he said.
In October, Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for “keeping the flames of democracy lit in the midst of growing darkness.”
