""Venezuela will be the single biggest economic opportunity for decades to come in this region," she told Fortune's Diane Brady at the forum's 2025 edition, weeks after winning the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her decades-long fight to restore democracy to Venezuela. "We're talking about an opportunity, business opportunity, of more than $1.7 trillion. This is unique.""
"Machado painted a stark picture of a nation that has plummeted from prosperity to poverty: "a country that used to be the richest country in our region and the freest country in our region, and that has turned into one of the poorest." Being under socialist rule for decades, she said, has crippled industry, devastated infrastructure, and triggered an exodus of nearly a third of Venezuela's population. "Our economy has collapsed. It's been over 80% down in the last [several] years," she said. "Our people have been forced to flee just to survive.""
María Corina Machado calls for a sweeping privatization to reverse socialist policies and restore Venezuela's economy. The plan targets large-scale private investment across energy, infrastructure, and public sectors, with an estimated business opportunity exceeding $1.7 trillion. Decades of socialist rule are described as having crippled industry, devastated infrastructure, and spurred the emigration of nearly a third of the population. International estimates show an economic contraction of roughly 75–80% in recent years. Privatization is presented as the principal mechanism to revive production, repair infrastructure, rebuild institutions, create jobs, and attract sustained foreign and domestic capital.
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