María Corina Machado
María Corina Machado is a founder of the Venezuelan nonprofit volunteer opposition group,.[1] Súmate, along with Alejandro Plaz.
In 2003, Súmate led a petition drive for a legal and constitutional presidential recall of Venezuelan President, Hugo Chávez. The government of Chávez charged Machado and other Súmate officials with treason and conspiracy, charges which could result in more than a decade in prison.[2] The trial has been postponed several times.
Venezuela's foreign minister called Machado's meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush on May 31, 2005 "a provocation," while Venezuela's interior minister says that she is a puppet of the CIA.[2]
Machado was hailed as "the best of womankind and the difficult times many women face around the globe" on a list of Women the World Should Know for International Women's Day.[3] With degrees in engineering and finance, in 1992 Machado – the mother of 3 – started Fundación Atenea, a foundation using private donations to care for orphaned and delinquent Caracas street children between the ages of eight and twelve. Because of her subsequent role in Súmate, Machado left the foundation so that it would not be politicized, but the Chávez government broke its arrangement with Fundación Atenea and took back the management of the shelter.[4]
Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional printed a list alleging that María Corina Machado's signature is among 352 signatures on The Carmona Decree, but there are no reliable reports of the significance of the list.[5][6]
Notes
- ^ Venezuela to boost poll security. BBC (October 7, 2005)
- ^ a b Ceaser, Mike (July 5, 2005). Anti-Chávez leader under fire. Christian Science Monitor. Cite error: The named reference "CSMachado" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ Women the World Should Know. National Review Online (Mar 8 2006). Accessed 1 July 2006.
- ^ O'Grady, Mary A. A Young Defender of Democracy Faces Chávez's Wrath. Wall Street Journal. June 10, 2005; Page A9.
- ^ Lista de Firmantes del Decreto Carmona. El Nacional (Archivos). Accessed 24 July 2006.
- ^ Acta de constitución del Gobierno de Transición Democrática y Unidad Nacional. Venezuela Analitica (April 12, 2002). Retrieved 24 Jul 2006. Template:Es icon