(FILES) Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado speaks to supporters on stage in Madrid's Puerta del Sol on April 18, 2026. It is "essential" that opposition leader Maria Corina Machado takes part in the political dialogue due to begin on August 1, 2026 in Venezuela, said Alejandro Fleming, a former minister under the ousted Nicolas Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chavez, in an interview with AFP. (Photo by Javier SORIANO / AFP via Getty Images)