The Playbook Podcast María Corina Machado on her hopes for Venezuela’s future | "The Conversation"
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Feb 8, 2026 
María Corina Machado, Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, discusses hopes for a rapid democratic transition and rebuilding institutions. Brian Tyler Cohen, progressive political YouTuber, talks about digital media’s role in politics and the future of progressive organizing. They explore elections, rule of law, investment, platform power, and how politics and media are evolving.
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Fix IDs And Registry Before Elections
- Do prepare identification and voter registry fixes before new elections to ensure only Venezuelans vote.
- Machado says manual voting and full audit procedures could enable free elections within nine to ten months once started.
A Teen's Journey Highlights Human Cost
- Machado recounts meeting a 16-year-old Venezuelan who walked the Darien and begged to be taken home.
- The story framed the human cost and urgency of restoring dignity and family reunification in Venezuela.
A Regional Turning Point
- Machado frames Maduro's removal as a hemispheric turning point comparable to the Berlin Wall's fall.
- She suggests a free Venezuela would catalyze democratization across the Americas.