At least three writers withdraw from Hay festival in protest at Machado invite

"In a letter announcing her withdrawal from the Hay festival Cartagena, the acclaimed Colombian author Laura Restrepo described Machado as an active supporter of US military intervention in Latin America. The author of Delirium 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."

"I think that, given the grave moment of escalating imperial violence, it is better to withdraw from a festival held on the shores of the bombarded Caribbean Sea, which has decided to invite someone who dedicated a peace prize to the fascist responsible for these crimes, wrote Caputo on his social media, recalling that Machado dedicated her Nobel prize to Trump."

"Their boycott stands as another sign that Machado who has close ties with far-right leaders in the region, including Argentina's Javier Milei and Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro is far from a consensus figure in Latin America. On Monday, Machado was among the many rightwing leaders worldwide who cheered the election of the ultra-conservative Jose Antonio Kast an avowed admirer of the dictator Augusto Pinochet as Chile's next president."

At least three writers withdrew from the Hay festival in protest at an invitation to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. The main reason cited was Machado's support for Donald Trump's four-month pressure campaign against Nicolas Maduro and her comments favoring US military intervention in Venezuela. Machado has close ties with far-right leaders Javier Milei and Jair Bolsonaro and cheered Jose Antonio Kast's election. Colombian author Laura Restrepo called Machado an active supporter of US military intervention and rejected giving her a platform. Giuseppe Caputo cited deadly US airstrikes in waters and recalled Machado dedicating her Nobel prize to Trump.

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