Editor’s note: Below is the complete text of “Freedom Manifesto,” a document outlining a democratic and pluralistic future for Venezuela written by María Corina Machado. Leader of the Venezuelan opposition and the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner, she describes a path forward for the country rooted in the rule of law and respect for liberty in all facets of life.
Preamble
It became the sacred duty of the courageous Venezuelans to rise when our voices were silenced, our dignity denied, and our liberty shackled by the chains of tyranny.
We, the citizens of Venezuela, are not appealing to power or privilege, but rather to the eternal rights that have been bestowed upon every human. It is from this foundation that truth is born: no ruler, faction or tyrannical force has the ability to dictate to individuals what is theirs by right: freedom.
Dignity is the catalyst that will elevate the Venezuelan’s hearts and minds again. It will motivate hope and create a new world where our people will rise from this dark age of oppression with a single, unbreakable mission: freedom.
Because in a free republic the only sovereign is the people; because our popular and national sovereignty is inalienable; and because we Venezuelans know that freedom must be defended every day — there is no room for fear.
Therefore, let us relaunch a free society, in which our government serves, and the state’s primary purpose is to safeguard the natural rights of all Venezuelans.
The time has come for every Venezuelan family to be united again, forever, in our land.
Tomorrow belongs to the bold
We stand at the edge of a new era – one where our natural rights will prevail. This regime’s long and violent abuse of power is ending.
A new Venezuela is emerging from the ashes, renewed in spirit and united in purpose, like a phoenix reborn — fierce, radiant, and unstoppable.
We will fully realize our potential, for the Land of Grace will safeguard our inalienable rights from future oppressive tyrannies, dictatorships, and despots.
Our individual liberty will forever be fully realized within a Venezuelan ecosystem booming with liberty.
Dignity: Our guiding principle
We hold that the dignity of every human soul is sacred — the first principle from which all liberty flows. The will to labor, to create, and to advance the common good is stimulated by dignity. An individual’s self-worth grows through productivity, it elevates the human spirit, which, in turn, fortifies the entire community.
Let dignity serve as the driving force behind our national revitalization: the force that establishes a free marketplace of ideas and enterprise, that fosters the complete development of each individual, and that restricts the government’s authority to its proper function as the steadfast guardian of our inalienable rights.
Every Venezuelan is born with liberty
Freedom is not a privilege that is bestowed by a government; rather, it is an inherent right woven into the very essence of our humanity.
Every Venezuelan is born with inalienable rights that have been conferred upon them by our Creator, not by men. No regime, political system, or tyranny has the power to rob us of what is divinely ours: the right to live with dignity, speak freely, create, dream, and prosper as individuals.
Regenerate the economy of a free people
A renewed Venezuela will guarantee the right to own property, and to reclaim what was stolen. Property is not a privilege of the elite; it is a fundamental right; the physical manifestation of a person’s lifetime of labor and ingenuity.
Instead of unduly interfering, the government will provide the conditions to create a free and competitive economy.
Venezuela’s prosperity depends on its citizens’ freedom. History has proven that when government exerts a heavy hand on the marketplace it suppresses the human spirit that provides genuine vitality for growth.
It is time to return power to the people, to the citizens, to the private sector.
We will awaken the economy that is capable of tripling its strength within a decade by releasing state-owned enterprises and restoring the development of our oil and gas sectors to the ingenuity of free men and women.
The wealth of Venezuela will never again be concentrated in the hands of a single, centralized power.
Envision a new Venezuela perched on top of the Western Hemisphere, as the premier global energy hub — a symbol of independence and innovation. A new era of ingenuity in an open marketplace of ideas catapulting the next generation of leaders across all business sectors, including high-tech agribusiness, eco-friendly tourism, fintech, artificial intelligence, robotics, rare earth minerals, and defense.
A nation where each citizen can engage in commerce without government restriction, think independently, and receive fair compensation from their inventions and the fruits of their labor. Such is the promise of a self-reliant people — people free to build, to prosper, and to lead.
For let us remember, history has proven, when individuals are prosperous from their labor, all other human rights follow.
Freedom of speech
The right to speak the truth is the cornerstone of all freedom. When voices are suppressed, corruption takes hold and justice disappears.
Venezuela must reclaim its voice in every town, every classroom, newsroom, and digital environment. The people must be able to speak without fear of persecution, censorship, or reprisal.
Venezuela’s advancement in this next era depends entirely on the unrestricted exchange of ideas and the courage to speak them.
Right to vote
The ballot box serves as the people’s defense against oppression. It is sacred.
Every Venezuelan must have the right to vote securely, and without any form of manipulation.
Our vote is our collective voice. The will of the people must be reflected in elections, rather than the power of the few.
Let Venezuela’s elections reflect the full expression of our popular sovereignty, and never as tools of subjugation.
Right to assemble
The streets belong to the people — not to the illegitimate power. The heartbeat of democracy is the right to assemble, protest, and stand together in unity. The peaceful assembly of citizens does not pose a threat to a nation; rather it fortifies it.
Venezuela’s rebirth will commence when each of us can emerge from hiding, walk from the shadows without dread, and wave flags of hope.
The right to safety
Every individual has the right to safeguard their life, their family, their property, and their liberty. No democratic society can endure when its citizens are incapable of resisting oppression or violence.
The people of Venezuela deserve a duly elected government which maintains the will and capacity to guarantee the safety of each and every citizen.
The future of Venezuela requires the restoration of trust between the state and its citizens. This will be achieved by promoting a lawful self-defense; fostering a culture of mutual respect, responsibility, and peace.
Therefore, we will reform our military and police forces so that their mission, sacred purpose, and constitutional duty is to defend all people of Venezuela as well as our national territory.
Bring them home now
Nine million Venezuelans have been forced to flee their homeland, leaving behind families and friends — dreams shattered.
We will bring them home. We will restore their right and liberty to return — to come back to their native land.
Each Venezuelan must regain their family, their home, and their own future.
Crimes against humanity
The cries of the murdered, tortured, and disappeared have echoed unanswered for too long.
Since Maduro assumed power, more than 18,000 political prisoners have suffered — each one serves as a testament to the regime’s brutality.
These are human lives. Our friends, families, colleagues and companions.
The world must not turn its back. The criminal regime must be held accountable.
Venezuela will only fully rise when those who committed crimes against humanity are held accountable by both, the law and history.
Education must rise again
Venezuela’s schools and universities must once again serve as the nucleus of curiosity, knowledge, and pride — the driving force behind progress. The classrooms of a nation are the source of its future.
Our children must be empowered to become a nation of leaders, innovators, and thinkers by investing in our educators, technology, innovation and the truth.
Our schools and universities of the future will leave today’s culture of corruption forever in the past.
Families, as the first community, are the foundation of all education; instilling values, cultivating virtues, and shaping honorable citizens through their daily example.
Protect Venezuela’s land
The destruction of Venezuela’s rainforests is not only an environmental catastrophe, but also, a moral one. The permanent destruction of our forests, rivers, and biodiversity deprives our children and grandchildren of their rightful inheritance.
A free Venezuela must also protect its land and extraordinary natural endowments.
Return to the international community of democracies
Venezuela will strengthen through international cooperation and collaboration.
We look forward to the day we return to the global stage with transparency, integrity, and purpose. We must reestablish alliances that are founded on shared prosperity, defense of democracy, environmental stewardship, trade, and human rights.
We will become a pillar of democratic and energy security in the western hemisphere, and the unwavering promoter of liberty around the world.
María Corina Machado
Venezuela, November 9, 2025
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