María Corina Machado returns to Venezuela after ten months abroad and seven failed attempts
Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado returned to Venezuela on Sunday after nearly ten months abroad and at least seven failed attempts to go back. “I am here. With you,” she wrote on X, shortly before reappearing at a Mass at the Divina Pastora sanctuary in Barquisimeto, Lara state, surrounded by supporters.
María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, returned to her homeland on Sunday after ten months of absence and multiple unsuccessful attempts to re-enter the country. Expressing her joy upon arrival, she shared her presence at a Mass in Barquisimeto, surrounded by supporters. Former presidential contender Edmundo González expressed his delight, stating that she is now back in Venezuelan territory and vowing to join her soon.
The specific details of her entry remain undisclosed, though US network Newsmax reported she entered from Colombia, while Spain’s ABC newspaper suggested a diplomatic operation involving multiple nations facilitated her return. Machado had left Venezuela in early December 2025, just after participating in the Nobel Prize ceremony in Oslo.
Prior to her departure, she attempted to re-enter on several occasions, including via boat, overland, and commercial/private flights from the United States, Panama, and Curaçao. Despite the efforts, she was blocked by US officials, a claim President Donald Trump denied. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Machado could return like any other Venezuelan citizen.
Since Nicolás Maduro's removal from power following a US military intervention in January, Machado has returned to a vastly transformed Venezuela. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez and her administration have been engaged in negotiations with Dinorah Figuera, the president of the National Assembly elected in 2015, to create a roadmap involving the renewal of the Supreme Court, the National Electoral Council, and regional elections preceding the presidential vote.
However, Machado has rejected this proposed sequence. The presidential election, still without a date, has been a point of contention, with the government refusing to veto her return while accusing her of promoting the US intervention. Additionally, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello hinted at a surprise awaiting her upon her return.
Despite being barred from the 2024 election, Machado supported González's candidacy, which, according to tally sheets, won the election despite the victory claimed by the Chavista government. A Bloomberg poll from August indicated that Machado secured 57.4% of the voting intentions.
Written by urgent.news from MercoPress's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
