Vanessa Neumann, CEO of Asymmetrica and former Juan Guaidó-appointed Venezuelan ambassador to the United Kingdom: “The ‘inhabilitation’ of María Corina Machado (MCM, to whom I am related through marriage and family business) is a farce like any other in the alternate universe of Maduro authoritarianism. Citing her support for U.S. sanctions and Juan Guaidó is risible. The Maduro dictatorship is banning MCM because she is in the lead, precisely because she is not tainted by having been part of the failed Guaidó experiment: she was sidelined by his G4 coalition, which was racked by scandals of corruption and incompetence. As an outsider, MCM spoke her mind, but played no role in influencing U.S. sanctions policy. If anything, the ban gives her credibility with voters. Having my own three ‘arrest warrants’ from Maduro, I know first-hand what a reputational boon that is. The July 13 debate among the eight top contenders was more a show of relative positions, as the numbers and format make a true debate impossible. It was nevertheless…”