"I spoke with her twice late last year, without knowing where she was. A few months before, the country had just held presidential elections. The opposition movement that she leads had won. Even though activists were being picked up off the streets, or simply shot and killed, they had held a primary, run a presidential campaign-Machado herself was barred, so Edmundo González was the candidate-and made sure that votes were counted accurately."
"Lately, Americans have been hearing little about Venezuela other than drugs and gangs, but the country has long been the home of one of the world's most impressive grassroots democracy movements. At this moment, when citizens in many of the world's most successful liberal democracies are giving up, even questioning whether popular participation in politics has any value, Venezuelans fight violence with nonviolence, and oppose corruption through bravery. As I wrote in December:"
María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for tireless promotion of democratic rights and struggle for a just, peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy. The Norwegian Nobel Committee called her a woman who keeps the flame of democracy burning amidst a growing darkness. Machado is in hiding inside a failing Venezuela. The opposition movement she leads won recent presidential elections, held primaries, ran a campaign despite activists being arrested or killed, and ensured accurate vote counts. Nicolás Maduro refused to cede power after the election. Venezuelans pursue nonviolent resistance and confront corruption through bravery. Machado projects calm, determination, and positivity despite isolation.
Read at The Atlantic
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