Friedensnobelpreisträgerin: Venezuelas Opposition meldet Rückkehr von Machado

Venezuelan Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado has made a surprise return to her homeland ten months after secretly fleeing. The 59-year-old is once again on Venezuelan soil, according to the opposition party Vente Venezuela. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that talks supported by the United States have created conditions for her safe return.

These are the direct consequences of negotiations in which hundreds of political prisoners have been released and hundreds of opposition representatives have returned from exile, Rubio wrote on the platform X. "A very important day" "I am here. With you," Machado had previously announced on X. Opposition politician Edmundo González echoed this message, saying, "Venezuela!

I am incredibly happy to tell you that our leader, my beloved Maria Corina, is back on Venezuelan soil." Today is a very important day," González added. "With her, our sovereign voice returns to lead and steer this process in the right direction!" Other opposition politicians publicly welcomed Machado's return. Vente Venezuela published photos and videos of her, showing her in a church in Barquisimeto in the state of Lara, where she embraced people and prayed.

She then embarked on a journey to the capital Caracas, about 370 kilometers away, according to reports. During the trip, she was warmly received by people lining the street. At a stop, she sang the national anthem with supporters, as shown in additional videos. The return comes just weeks after a controversial US oil deal in Venezuela.

Since the capture of authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro by the US military in January in the capital Caracas, the oil-rich country has been led by former Vice President Delcy Rodríguez. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly praised his cooperation with Rodríguez. Machado, who had not returned since her departure in December, had been staying in Panama and had reportedly made several attempts to return.

She views the Rodríguez government as the continuation of an "illegitimate regime." She and other opposition figures demand early democratic elections in Venezuela. Trump, however, initially ruled this out. "I just think they are not ready," he had said recently. The opposition politician previously lived in hiding in Venezuela, Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to achieve a free and democratic Venezuela.

She intended to personally accept the prize, but arrived in Oslo only hours after the award ceremony. According to media reports, Machado was first brought to the Caribbean island of Curaçao by boat and then flown by private plane from the United States to Norway. Her daughter received the Nobel medal and accompanying diploma on her behalf.