Maria Corina Machado was never supposed to stand at the center of Venezuela’s future. Barred from running, harassed by the courts, and pushed out of the political system, she became instead its most powerful symbol—emerging as Nicolás Maduro was taken into U.S. custody and Caracas reeled from airstrikes and shock.

In the aftermath, a striking image took hold: Maria Corina Machado, Nobel medal visible, raising her hands alongside Edmundo González. González is already recognized by Washington and many allies as Venezuela’s legitimate president; Machado is the leader the regime tried—and failed—to erase. Together, they represent both rupture and possibility.

A transitional government led by them would not be a victory lap, but a trial by fire. They must rebuild institutions without fueling revenge, reintegrate chavistas without legitimizing abuses, and manage a military and streets shaped by years of scarcity, exile, and fear. The margin for error is razor-thin.

For millions of Venezuelans, hope has returned for the first time in years. Yet it carries a warning: if this moment collapses, the backlash could be darker than what came before. What lies ahead is not just a change in power, but a test of whether a broken nation can be stitched back together without tearing itself apart.