María Corina Machado returns to the center of the Venezuelan chessboard at the worst possible moment. The opposition leader has requested support from the United States to return to Venezuela after the earthquakes that have left the country in a national emergency.
Reuters reported that senior US officials are frustrated by Machado's request, although they support her eventual return to the country. The discomfort would not be in the objective, but in the timing: Venezuela is going through a humanitarian crisis, with rescues, missing persons, and an international aid operation underway.
The tension comes as the United States has mobilized rescue teams, medical supplies, and humanitarian aid to respond to the disaster. A State Department spokesperson quoted by Reuters spoke of $150 million in assistance.
The return that Washington sees as ill-timed
Machado had been out of Venezuela for months and had planned to return before the end of the year. The earthquake changes the calendar. For her, the tragedy can open a political and social window. For Washington, it can add noise to an emergency operation.
The Venezuelan opposition has been trying for years to turn Machado into a symbol of democratic transition. But after the disaster, the center of the agenda is not in partisan disputes, but in rescues, medical assistance, logistics, and reconstruction.
If she returns now, Machado can present herself as a symbol of national support. But she can also be accused of politicizing a tragedy.