Venezuelan Opposition Leader Machado's Harrowing Escape by Sea to U.S.

"There was a certain moment in the trip, in the boat, where... I was hurt because the waves were very high, over six feet," Machado told reporters at a Washington news conference held at the Heritage Foundation think-tank.

She said strong winds battered the vessel and critical navigation systems failed simultaneously. "We got lost in the ocean. We lost the signal of the GPS," she said. "The satellite phone stopped working. And the Starlink antenna did not work as well, all at the same time."

Machado said the situation was "very risky, dangerous, and scary" and lasted for several hours. "But at the end, as I say, we have moved ahead," she added.

She declined to disclose further details, citing safety concerns for those who helped her. "For the protection of those involved... I will wait until the regime is no longer in capacity to harm them," she said.

Machado said she believes her survival was not accidental. "That's why I believe it is a miracle," she said. "I'm here, and I know that someday I will be able to tell you all the details."

Addressing US policy, Machado framed the crisis as one involving criminal networks rather than personal rivalries. "This is about the cartel and justice," she said. "This is about a criminal structure that is the regime."

She said the movement represents millions of Venezuelans. "I'm just one member of a huge movement of millions of Venezuelans that have decided and are committed to be free," she said.

Machado expressed confidence in US support. "I have no doubt that President Trump, his administration, and the people of the United States support democracy, justice, freedom, and the mandate of the people of Venezuela," she said.

She linked Venezuela's transition to US security. "The United States today is a safer nation after January 3rd," she said, adding that stability in Venezuela would bring "more prosperity and strength in our hemisphere."

"If the constitution was respected, we wouldn't have a thousand political prisoners," she said when asked about a timeline to restore democracy. The transition, she said, involves multiple phases, starting with dismantling repression. "All torture centers have to be closed," she said, calling for guarantees for journalists and returning exiles.

She stressed urgency in locating missing detainees. "I'm talking about hundreds of people," she said. "They have simply disappeared."

Machado said migration has been weaponized by the regime. "Migration in Venezuela was designed by the regime," she said, calling it "very painful."

She argued that a democratic transition is key to reversing migration. "People are willing to go back to be part of the solution," she said, if they have hope of freedom and security.

- IANS