Venezuela’s opposition leader Maria Corina Machado returns from exile
Venezuela's opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has returned to the country after more than 10 months in exile, following national protests demanding free elections.
Machado announced her arrival on social media on Sunday, writing, "I am here. With you." Current opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez confirmed the news, stating "our leader, my dear Maria Corina, is on Venezuelan soil." The Comando Con Venezuela political organisation shared footage of Machado arriving at a church in Lara, where she was greeted by supporters.
Political context
Machado first disappeared from public life after being briefly arrested in January 2025. She re-emerged in Norway last December, where she won the Nobel Peace Prize for challenging President Nicolas Maduro. Maduro was abducted from Caracas by the United States military in January 2026.
Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has served as acting president since Maduro's removal, with Trump's endorsement. She has cooperated with the US administration regarding reforms and a deal granting the US control of over 65 billion barrels' worth of Venezuela's oil reserves.
Election demands
Rodriguez's presidency has extended beyond the 90-day period she was authorized to serve. Despite promising at the UN General Assembly in September to call an election, she has not done so. The US maintains the country is not ready yet.
Earlier this week, thousands of Venezuelans protested nationwide, calling for elections in the first such opposition demonstration in nearly two years. Although the opposition is widely believed to have won Venezuela's disputed 2024 elections, Trump has questioned Machado's leadership abilities.
I don't know anything about it, but I think she's a very nice woman. She gave me her Nobel Prize, so how can I say anything else? And I hope she's safe.
US involvement
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio attributed Machado's safe return to "U.S. supported reconciliation talks" which have resulted in hundreds of political prisoners being freed and opposition figures returning from exile. Machado previously made seven unsuccessful attempts to enter Venezuela between September attempts.
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