Latest News

Democracy Deferred: Did Washington Abandon María Corina Machado?

By Richard Emblin - January 5, 2026

The extraction of Nicolás Maduro on Saturday was meant to signal the end of an era. Instead, it has exposed an uncomfortable truth that may loom over Washington weeks and months after the “shock-and-awe” attacks in central Caracas have waned from headlines: was Venezuela’s democratic opposition sidelined at the very moment it appeared closest to […]

Trump: U.S. partnership to make Venezuelans “rich, independent and safe”

By Richard Emblin - January 3, 2026

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States would “run” Venezuela until a “safe, proper and judicious transition” of power is completed, following a U.S. military operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Speaking at a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago residence in […]

Stain on Hay: Should María Corina Machado Refuse the Literary Festival?

By Richard Emblin - December 17, 2025

For a literary festival, silence can be more revealing than speech. The decision by three writers to withdraw from the 2026 Hay Festival in Cartagena over the presence of María Corina Machado, this year’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate and the most prominent figure in Venezuela’s democratic opposition, has exposed a paradox at the heart of […]

Colombia’s FM Snubs Machado’s Nobel Peace Prize After Daring Escape

By The City Paper Staff - December 11, 2025

Colombia’s Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio declared Thursday that the Government of President Gustavo Petro is “not in agreement” with the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado – a position that signals how Colombia remains a close ideological ally of one of the hemisphere’s most authoritarian states. In remarks that were […]

María Corina Machado Issues Post-Maduro “Freedom Manifesto”

By Richard Emblin - November 19, 2025

As the USS Gerald R. Ford navigates uncomfortably close to the Venezuelan coastline and some 15,000 U.S. Marines remain stationed across Caribbean waters, Venezuela’s political crisis has entered a volatile new phase. In Caracas, Nicolás Maduro is publicly calling for peace and dialogue — even quoting John Lennon’s “Imagine” and delivering rally slogans in English […]

Venezuelan Activists Attacked in Bogotá During Targeted Shooting

By The City Paper Staff - October 14, 2025

Two Venezuelan human rights activists living in exile in Colombia were wounded in a targeted shooting on Monday afternoon in northern Bogotá, an attack that has renewed fears over the safety of political dissidents in the country. The assault took place just days after Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the 2025 Nobel […]

Nobel Prize: Machado “keeps the flame of democracy burning”

By Richard Emblin - October 10, 2025

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced on Friday, recognizing her “tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela” and her “struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.” Machado, 58, is the first Venezuelan to receive […]

Venezuela at “Historic Moment”; Colombia tightens security along border

By Richard Emblin - January 9, 2025

Colombia’s Ambassador will attend Nicolás Maduro’s inauguration amid criticism. Security tightens along the border as protests erupt worldwide against Maduro’s regime. Venezuela issues arrest orders for nine former Latin American presidents, including Andrés Pastrana.

Maduro activates Venezuela’s “full security force” as tensions escalate in Caracas

By Richard Emblin - January 8, 2025

Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro has activated the state’s security forces ahead of his January 10 inauguration. Opposition leader Edmundo González and nine ex-presidents are expected in Caracas for large-scale anti-regime protests on Thursday.

Blinken welcomes Colombia’s role in facilitating dialogue with Venezuela’s Maduro

By Richard Emblin - August 13, 2024

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken praises Colombia’s efforts to mediate Venezuela’s political crisis, urging a unified regional response to pressure President Nicolás Maduro to accept his July 28 defeat at the polls.

Is Petro brokering a “Good Faith” deal to secure Venezuela’s transition to democracy?

By The City Paper Staff - August 12, 2024

Colombia is set to propose a ‘good faith’ agreement aimed at easing negotiations between Nicolás Maduro and the winner of the July 28 elections – Edmundo González. The deal would involve the release of political prisoners and partial lifting of sanctions in exchange for concrete actions from the regime.

Petro: Maduro’s inhabilitation of Machado is an ‘undemocratic coup'”

By The City Paper Staff - April 2, 2024

Colombia’s Petro denounces Maduro’s barring of María Corina Machado as an ‘undemocratic coup,’ sparking more regional support from leftist leaders for fair elections in Venezuela.

Petro silent on Maduro’s crackdown on opposition ahead of July 28 election

By Richard Emblin - March 26, 2024

Colombian President Gustavo Petro faces stark criticism for his silence on Venezuelan electoral turmoil and Maduro’s crackdown on the opposition ahead of the July 28 elections.

Petro’s deafening silence over Maduro’s 2024 election threats

By Richard Emblin - February 5, 2024

Venezuelan President Maduro’s authoritarian declaration to win the 2024 elections “by any means necessary” appears to have left Washington out in the cold, and Colombian President Petro’s conspicuous silence on the recent barring of opposition leader María Corina Machado raises damning questions about his commitment and the administration of President Joe Biden in securing democracy across the region.