During her appearance in Oslo as part of activities linked to the Nobel Peace Prize, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado issued a forceful warning about the deep penetration of foreign actors and irregular groups in Venezuela, asserting that the country “has already been invaded” long before international debates over a possible military intervention began.
Machado stated that multiple foreign organizations operate openly and in coordination with the regime. “Some people talk about an invasion in Venezuela, about the threat of an invasion in Venezuela, and I responded: Venezuela was, it has already been invaded. We have Russian agents, we have Iranian agents, we have terrorist groups like Hezbollah and Hamas operating freely in coordination with the regime,” she said before the audience in Oslo, underscoring the seriousness of the situation.
She added to this list the presence of Colombian guerrilla groups and powerful drug cartels, whose networks—she claimed—already control more than 60% of Venezuelan territory. Machado noted that these criminal organizations are not only involved in drug trafficking but also in human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and prostitution networks that continue expanding unchecked.
“This has turned Venezuela into the criminal hub of the Americas,” she warned, emphasizing that the combination of terrorist groups, state allies of the regime, and transnational criminal organizations has created a parallel system of power that erodes sovereignty, destroys the social fabric, and threatens regional stability.
Her message in Oslo reinforces the position she has defended for years: that the Venezuelan crisis is not merely political or economic, but a hemispheric security issue. Machado stressed that the international community can no longer view Venezuela’s situation as an internal conflict, but rather as a phenomenon involving global illicit networks and state alliances that use the country as an operational platform.
The speech was received with attention by academics, activists, and members of multilateral organizations present at the event, adding a sense of urgency to the global debate on Venezuela. With her intervention, Machado aimed not only to highlight the magnitude of the threat but also to advocate for a coordinated international response to support institutional restoration and the recovery of security across the region.
