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Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado will publish a book in the US that lays out her vision for Venezuela’s political reconstruction as the country faces significant upheaval.
The 120-page work titled The Freedom Manifesto is being released by Regnery Publishing, a conservative book publisher acquired by Skyhorse Publishing in 2023.
Machado’s book – which the Nobel peace prize winner wrote before the US capture of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife earlier this month – “expands upon her vision of a ‘new era’ for a Venezuela without its dictator Nicolás Maduro”, according to the publisher’s description.
“The natural dignity of every human being and their right to be free are essential principles of this project, as is the courage needed to defend them … Likewise, the right to security, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and association, education that begins at home, and civic and transparent voting are pillars of the liberal democracy that Machado wishes to establish in Venezuela,” the description added.
Originally slated for publication in early February, the book’s release has been delayed so the publisher can incorporate fresh material responding to the dramatic political developments after Maduro’s ousting, Skyhorse publisher Tony Lyons told the New York Times.
He added that he plans to ask Machado to write a postscript that “covers her vision under the current circumstances of what the future holds” for Venezuela. According to Lyons, the publishing house is “rushing” to release the updated edition and hopes it could be on shelves as early as next month, the outlet reports.
The book builds on a four-page “freedom manifesto” Machado released last November, as well as a two-hour interview with the opposition leader, the New York Times reports. The publication house has set an initial print run of 50,000 paperback copies and will also produce 5,000 copies in a Spanish-language edition.
Despite Machado’s popularity – and her dedication of the Nobel peace prize to Trump, the US president has refused to back her after the US ouster of Maduro. “I think it would be very tough for her to be the leader,” Trump said at a news conference in Mar-a-Lago over the weekend, adding: “She doesn’t have the support within, or the respect within, the country.”
Instead, Trump has conditionally endorsed Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodríguez, as long as she “does what we want”.
