‘I am writing this from hiding’published at 10:44 BST
10:44 BST
Image source, AFP
María Corina Machado has been in hiding since August 2024. The Venezuelan opposition leader disappeared from the public following elections in July of that year.
She announced the decision in a letter published by the Wall Street Journal. , externalIt was titled: I Can Prove Maduro Got Trounced.
“I am writing this from hiding, fearing for my life, my freedom, and that of my fellow countrymen from the dictatorship led by Nicolás Maduro,” she wrote.
In the letter, she says she has proof that Nicolás Maduro didn’t win the election, and said it was “unthinkable” he would concede.
Machado then details steps Maduro’s government took, such as barring her from running and disqualifying her replacement.
But, she says they didn’t expect that the people “are like a tidal wave” and fought back. “Minutes after returns began coming in, we confirmed that our victory was overwhelming.”
She explains that when protests broke out, most of her team went into hiding, and states: “I could be captured as I write these words.”
She was seen briefly at a protest in January, where the government arrested her for a short time and then released her.