Venezuelan opposition leader María Machado returns after months in exile

Opposition leader María Corina Machado has returned to Venezuela after nearly a year in exile. In a post on social media platform X, she expressed her gratitude saying, "I am here. With you." Her return follows numerous failed attempts to enter the country. In January, the U.S. seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and backed his deputy, Delcy Rodríguez, who became interim president.

Machado was photographed attending Mass in the state of Lara, where she received support from her followers. She then traveled to Caracas, her capital, where she was greeted by her supporters. Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González announced her arrival, expressing his excitement and stating that she would lead the country towards freedom.

Machado, a staunch supporter of democracy, won an independent presidential primary in 2023 with over 90% of the votes. However, Maduro's government barred her from running for office, alleging fraud and tax violations, which she denied as politically motivated. Machado spent her final days in Venezuela hiding in safe houses before fleeing to Norway to accept the Nobel Peace Prize.