Machado returns to Venezuela after 10 months of exile

Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize recipient María Corina Machado returned to her country on Sunday after nearly 10 months in exile. Machado announced her arrival on the social platform X, writing, "I am here. With you." According to CBS News, her team confirmed the return, though she did not disclose her specific location or the method of her arrival. El Pais reports that Newsmax claims she entered through Colombia and planned a public appearance that same day.

Machado had covertly left Venezuela in December 2025 with a private U.S. rescue team to receive her Nobel Peace Prize in Norway. Euronews reports that her party made seven failed attempts to return over the previous three months from the United States, Panama, and Curaçao, being repeatedly blocked by Venezuelan authorities. The Venezuelan government considers Machado a fugitive, accusing her of calling for military intervention.

Machado's senior adviser, David Smoalnsky, told CBS News that her return represents a major step toward a democratic transition and verifiable presidential elections. This return follows a period where U.S. forces seized longtime leader Nicolás Maduro and flew him to New York to face criminal charges. While Machado has praised President Trump for that operation, Euronews notes that Washington has allowed Maduro's deputy, Delcy Rodríguez, to serve as interim president.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Hill, France 24, El Pais, CBS News, Euronews — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.