Venezuelan opposition leader Machado returns after months abroad

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has returned home after more than 10 months abroad, announcing her arrival in a post on X and appearing publicly with supporters in the state of Lara. Machado attended Mass at a church in Barquisimeto, where images showed supporters surrounding her. She then began travelling toward Caracas in a convoy.

The Guardian reported footage of crowds along the route, while India Today said her team planned to continue by road. The precise route and method by which she re-entered Venezuela were not publicly disclosed by her team. Her ally Edmundo González, who remains in exile, confirmed that Machado was back in Venezuela and said he would soon join her.

Machado’s spokesperson described the return as a major step toward a democratic transition and free, fair and verifiable presidential elections. The return followed repeated unsuccessful efforts to come back. An adviser told the BBC that Machado had tried seven times in the preceding weeks, while other reports said she had made more than half a dozen attempts.

India Today, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that she travelled by private plane from Panama to Colombia before crossing overland, but this account was not confirmed by Machado’s team. Machado left Venezuela secretly to receive the Nobel Peace Prize after spending her final period in the country in hiding. She had won an opposition primary in 2023 but was barred by Nicolás Maduro’s government from contesting the 2024 presidential election.

González ran instead, and the opposition said he won despite the government-aligned electoral authority declaring Maduro the victor without publishing detailed tallies. The political landscape has changed since Machado left. The supplied reports say Maduro was removed from Venezuela by US forces in January and is now jailed in New York, while his former deputy, Delcy Rodríguez, became interim president with US backing.

Machado has sought US support, but Trump said he did not know about her return and said Washington was “doing really well in Venezuela,” while indicating continued support for Rodríguez. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio attributed the conditions for Machado’s return to US-supported reconciliation talks. He said the talks had helped free political prisoners and allowed opposition figures to return from exile.

India Today reported that Machado’s movement was not part of the negotiations, which have addressed possible reforms to the courts and electoral council. Machado has said she would seek another presidential run if elections were held. Her adviser David Smolansky said she planned to meet families of political prisoners, earthquake victims, international representatives and democratic opposition leaders, while working toward a date for free and fair elections.

The Guardian reported that she has called for a vote by July 2027, though it remains unclear whether the Trump administration supports that timetable.