María Corina Machado Biography
María Corina Machado is a Venezuelan industrial engineer, educator, and prominent opposition leader against the Chavismo regime, serving as the founder and national coordinator of the political movement Vente Venezuela.
Born on October 7, 1967, in Caracas, Venezuela, she earned a degree in industrial engineering from Andrés Bello Catholic University and a master’s in finance from the Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Administración (IESA). In 1992, she co-founded Fundación Atenea with her mother to support vulnerable street children in Caracas and later chaired Fundación Oportunitas.
Machado entered politics in 2002 by co-founding Súmate, a civil association focused on election monitoring and advocating for a 2004 recall referendum against President Hugo Chávez, which drew accusations of treason and threats against her family. Elected as a deputy to the National Assembly in 2011, she gained attention for outspoken criticism of Chávez and Nicolás Maduro, including leading 2014 protests and addressing the Organization of American States. She resigned from Súmate in 2010 to pursue elected office and ran in the 2012 opposition primary, placing second to Henrique Capriles.
In 2023 primaries, despite a 15-year political ban, she won over 90% of votes as the opposition candidate for the 2024 presidential election, later endorsing Edmundo González after her disqualification and going into hiding post-election. Her efforts earned her the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025 for promoting democratic rights and a peaceful transition from dictatorship in Venezuela.
