Feliz viernes, Rulers! We’re sure having a weird summer. I’m happy to be back with you this week for a humbling interview about the remarkable leaders braving their country’s tumult. Let’s get to it. Autocratic Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro stole his reelection, according to opposition leaders, tally analyses, sources with direct knowledge of the president's decision and international allies including the U.S. The race was between Maduro and Edmundo González Urrutia, but it is women — led by Maria Corina Machado, dubbed the “iron lady” of Venezuela — who are heading the opposition fight. Machado, despite fearing for her life, has remained publicly ubiquitous, taking to the streets and leading rallies and protests in the capital city of Caracas. Machado won her party’s primary by 93 percent in October, but in January, Venezuela's Supreme Justice Tribunal banned her from running for office, accusing her of conspiracy and corruption. Her chosen replacement, Corina Yoris, was then also blocked from running. A day before the deadline, the little-known González was written in as the party’s candidate. Since the elections on July 28, when Maduro claimed victory against González, protests have racked the country, more than 2,000 people have been jailed and at least 23 killed. To better understand the conflict, Women Rule spoke with Alexandra Winkler, a member of Machado’s party and former deputy mayor of El Hatillo municipality in Caracas, who was forced into exile in 2018 when police came to her family home and demanded her arrest. Winkler says Machado’s popularity is a result of her being the country’s “fearless mother figure” dedicated to unifying Venezuelan families. As she sees it, Machado’s leadership can pave the way for more female leaders in the Americas. This interview has been edited for length and clarity and a portion was translated from Spanish. How does Machado’s gender play into her campaign? Venezuela is a diaspora right now; the exodus has been massive and the exodus will continue to be massive if Maduro continues to hold on to power. People went to the ballots on July 28 to reunify their families. They came to vote for the person who is going to bring back their parents, their kids, their uncles. Machado represents the fearless mother who would do anything for her family, for her children, to bring them back home. Machado’s own kids are not in the country. She’s had to see her kids graduate through Whatsapp and through FaceTime. She’s been able to connect with so many people because she doesn’t have her family next to her either. If Maduro stays in power, people are going to continue to flee. People want their families back. I want to go back to my parents in Venezuela. What does Machado’s success say about women in politics in Venezuela? In Venezuela 60 percent of families are matriarch-based, so in the absence of that father figure, it’s grandmas, it’s moms, aunts — they are everything. Venezuelan women understand both the economic and emotional responsibility of keeping the family together. And even though Maduro’s regime has done so much to break those figures and change cultural and social norms, Machado is setting an example of a woman who is standing up and climbing that ladder to fight for the future. What does the regime’s blocking of Machado and Yoris, with González being the figure actually running for office, say about Venezuelan women in politics? Corina Yoris was blocked from running because she was a person who was specifically chosen by Machado. Letting González run was more of a negotiated decision between the parties. No one really knew González, so the regime didn’t see him as a threat. But Machado made González so much stronger, and they work hand in hand, like a ticket that you would see here in the U.S. — president and vice president. I’m not saying that’s going to be her role in the future, but everyone sees them as on the same ticket. That’s why people trust them so much. Because they’re working together. The U.S. now has a woman running for president. What does what’s going on in Venezuela mean for the American presidential election? I see the rise of women in political positions across this hemisphere. Not just Vice President Kamala Harris, but Mexico’s new president Claudia Sheinbaum as well. It’s not easy being a female politician, but I think Machado is just paving the way for more of us to get in the door. How will the U.S. presidential election affect Venezuelan politics? I think the Venezuelan topic has always been bipartisan. It’s not an ideological fight between the right or the left, it's a fight between democracy and dictatorship. Former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden have had different approaches to the regime. You saw Trump having the more pressure-inspired approach while the Biden administration has taken an approach of more diplomacy, of more negotiation. Each administration has had pros and cons but at the end of the day, freedom for Venezuela is bipartisan. How did you end up in the U.S.? In 2017, our mayor was barred from holding office along with a warrant for his arrest because he was the biggest opposition leader at the time within Caracas. I became deputy mayor and took over. Then, in January of 2018, twelve security forces people came knocking on my door wanting to know where I was. They told my parents, “Whenever she gets back, tell her that she has to go to El Helicoide.” El Helicoide is the biggest torture center in Venezuela. So that was my signal that it was better for me not to come back. That sounds extremely frightening. This process has been really hard, that’s why it hurts us so much that the regime wants to stay in power and not recognize the results of the elections. It means a lot, emotionally, to all of us, what’s happening. What’s next for Venezuelans? All of my family and friends are excited about what happened on July 28. We know that we won the election and we are willing to go out and protest and keep going on this marathon. Everyone knew that once we won the election, it was going to be six more months of turmoil. People were prepared for this. Last weekend, Machado called for a protest and millions came out across the country, and outside the country as well. So people are willing, despite the regime’s frightening crackdown, to defend their rights.
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