Three writers have withdrawn from the Hay Festival in Cartagena in protest at an invitation to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, citing her support for Donald Trump’s pressure campaign against Nicolás Maduro and comments favouring possible US military action. The authors — including Laura Restrepo, Giuseppe Caputo and Mikaelah Drullard — say Machado’s presence would legitimise positions that threaten regional sovereignty. The Hay Festival defended its commitment to open dialogue while stressing it does not endorse participants’ views; Machado is still scheduled to speak remotely on 30 January.
Three Prominent Writers Withdraw From Hay Festival Cartagena Over María Corina Machado Invitation
Maria Corina Machado speaks in Oslo, Norway, on 11 December 2025.Photograph: Leonhard Föger/Reuters
Three prominent writers have pulled out of next month’s Hay Festival in Cartagena, Colombia, in protest at the organisers’ invitation to Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel laureate María Corina Machado. The withdrawals spotlight deep divisions over Machado’s politics and the festival’s decision to include her in its programme.
Why Authors Withdrew
The authors cited Machado’s public support for former US president Donald Trump’s sustained pressure campaign against Nicolás Maduro and her statements endorsing the possibility of US military action in Venezuela. Critics also point to Machado’s ties to far‑right leaders in the region, including Argentina’s Javier Milei and Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro, and say her presence would legitimise views they consider dangerous for regional sovereignty.
Statements From Withdrawing Authors
Acclaimed Colombian novelist Laura Restrepo said in her letter of withdrawal that Machado is “an active supporter of US military intervention in Latin America.” Restrepo added: “No platform should be given or audience facilitated for someone who, like Ms Machado, promotes positions and activities that subject our peoples and undermine the sovereignty of our countries. Imperialist intervention is not something to debate, but something to reject outright.”
Writer Giuseppe Caputo cited recent deadly US airstrikes on boats in Caribbean waters — which he and others say have killed more than 90 people — as part of his objection. On social media he wrote that he could not attend a festival “held on the shores of the bombarded Caribbean Sea” that invited someone who had dedicated her Nobel prize to Donald Trump.
The Dominican writer and activist Mikaelah Drullard, the third to withdraw, argued that the invitation validated Machado’s views and served as “an ideological weapon to promote her justifications for US intervention, invasion and militarisation of the Caribbean.”
Machado’s Position And Background
Machado has publicly stated she "absolutely supports President Trump’s strategy" on Venezuela and that the "cost of staying in power" for Nicolás Maduro must be increased "by force," comments reported by CBS. She recently left Venezuela after more than a year in hiding and suffered a fractured vertebra during a dramatic, clandestine journey to Oslo to receive the Nobel prize; she missed the ceremony but later took part in events and press conferences.
Festival Response And Next Steps
The Hay Festival — founded in Wales and now staged in multiple countries — issued a statement saying it respected the authors’ decisions while defending the festival’s role in promoting open, diverse dialogue and the free exchange of ideas. The organisers emphasised that the festival does not endorse the opinions of individual participants.
Machado is still scheduled to appear remotely at Hay Festival Cartagena on 30 January in conversation with Venezuelan journalist and former trade and industry minister Moisés Naím. Machado’s team declined to comment on the authors’ protest.
Note: This report summarises public statements by the authors and organisers. Claims about casualties from airstrikes and the dedication of Machado’s Nobel prize reflect the positions and accusations made by critics and participants.
