Venezuela’s prominent opposition leader, María Corina Machado, is vigorously campaigning for the upcoming presidential election on July 28, despite being banned from standing for president, restricted from domestic flights, and facing restaurant closures if they serve her.

“This is anything but a conventional election,” stated Machado, the 56-year-old spearheading the campaign against authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro. “Many Venezuelans see this as an opportunity far bigger than the election itself.”

Opinion polls indicate a potential heavy defeat for Maduro and his United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), signaling possible political upheaval in a nation that has allied with Russia, China, and Iran amid an economic crisis that has driven nearly a quarter of the population to flee.

However, the opposition has faced many setbacks before. Maduro, like his predecessor Hugo Chávez, has used arrests and smear campaigns to weaken opposition efforts.

“If all the votes are counted, we will win by a landslide,” Machado told the Financial Times. “The only way that won’t happen is if there is monumental fraud.”

Machado, banned from commercial flights for seven years, has traversed Venezuela by road, boat, and even horseback, connecting deeply with citizens.

“The government did me a favor by banning my flights,” she said. “I’ve seen every bend, pothole, and police checkpoint in this country.”

Despite death threats and significant risks, Machado remains undeterred. She has received threats from local drug cartels, and her campaign team has faced arrests and harassment.

Machado’s campaign efforts include organizing nearly 600,000 people to monitor polling stations to prevent fraud. While Maduro projects a softer image on social media, his regime retains control over media, courts, and security forces.

Michael Penfold, a global fellow at the Wilson Center, noted the desperation of the population and the significant gap in polls favoring the opposition. “The real question is whether the opposition can protect the vote on election day.”

International stakeholders, including the Biden administration, bondholders, and foreign investors, are closely watching the election, hoping for political change that could revive Venezuela’s economy.

Machado emphasized the stakes for the Venezuelan people. “The expectations for July 28 are so big and so deep that they have swept away all other barriers and differences,” she said.