This is John Batchel.

Colleague, Evan Ellis of the US Army War College,

commenting on why it is that Maria Karina and Machado,

the leader of the opposition in the dictatorship of Venezuela,

appeared suddenly on virtually across Venezuela from her hiding place,

from many hiding places,

to say, keep hope alive. What's the ambition?

Why do this? Madura is absolutely in charge of the main government. Evan explains, and

Evan also explains about the oil contract by Citco and its fate. More of this tonight.

Well, that's a great question, John. And

certainly my understanding of the appearance of Marie Corrina Machado virtually from, I think the

quote was, somewhere in Venezuela, where she's in hiding. It was an event done by the America

Society Council of America's a very respected Latin America-focused think tank.

This one was based out of their New York chapter. So it was really an opportunity for Marie

Kurina Machado to appear on behalf of the Venezuelan opposition, really to keep hope alive.

On the ground after Maduro's robbery of the July 28th, 2024 elections through falsified,

just blatantly falsified, you know, result of polling numbers, you know, 2,000 people are arrested,

people, protesters were brutally repressed.

And so there's very little immediate prospect of a democratic transition.

What Maria Corina really wanted to do, I think, with her presentation yesterday, was to convince

Venezuelans not to completely give up Pope, but to convince the business community that if only

that democratic transition would occur, that the possibilities with respect to the opposition being

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