Subject: Maria Corina Machado
From: "Joan Peugh" <[email-masked]>
To: "R. Hunter Biden" <[email-masked]>, "Eric Schwerin" <[email-masked]>
Cc: "Harlin Lawal" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2012 12:01:01 -0400

Hunter/Eric,

Below is information Harlin put together on Maria Corina Machado. Please
let him know if you need more details or have questions. Thanks!

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*Maria Corina Machado*

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*Background:*

·       Born on to October 7, 1967 to a well off and staunchly conservative
and catholic family

·       Earned degrees in industrial engineering from Andrés Bello Catholic
University and a Master’s degree in Finance from the Institute of Advanced
Studies in Administration (IESA) in Caracas; she is also a 2009 Yale World
Fellow (chosen out of 900 applicants as one of 15 accepted

·       In ’92 she founded the Atenea Foundation

o   A foundation using private donations to care for orphaned and
delinquent Caracas street children

o   Also chaired a similar organization called Oportunitas Foundation

·       She has three kids

*Súmate:*

·       The Venezuelan volunteer civil organization/NGO founded (early
2000s) by Machado and Alejandro Plaz

o   Gained around 30,000 supporters and international praise

·       The group’s mission is to promote, defend, facilitate, and back the
political right to citizens by the Constitution of Venezuela

o   Major focus on attempting to ensure transparent and fair elections and
opposing Chávez’s rule

·       In 2004, headed by Machado, the group led a petition drive for a
constitutional presidential recall of President Chávez.

o   This led to Machado and other members of the group to be charged with
treason and conspiracy (due to Súmate being funded by the NED for
“non-partisan educational work”)

o   However she has still yet to be tried

·       Through Machado, Súmate gained a close relationship and sympathies
from Washington and President Bush during his presidency

*National Assembly/Presidential Campaign:*

·       Machado resigned from Súmate in 2010 in order to announce her
candidacy for the National Assembly of Venezuela as Justice First (Primera
Justicia)

o   Representing Miranda (one of the major states of Venezuela)

o   Won the election as the highest vote-getter in the nation

·       In 2011 she announced plans to run for president in the 2012
presidential primary elections

o   Lost the primary to Henrique Caprilles Radonski, however, upon losing
she quickly backed Caprilles in hopes of being able to oust Chávez in the
coming elections this October

-- 
Joan K. Peugh
Rosemont Seneca Partners
o: 202-333-1880
m:202-841-854