Machado returns to Venezuela with one demand still unanswered
CARACAS — Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has returned home after more than 10 months abroad, renewing pressure for elections whose date remains unannounced. Her arrival on 25 October drew crowds of supporters as the opposition seeks a clear timetable from interim President Delcy Rodríguez.
Machado made her first public appearance in Barquisimeto before travelling by road to Caracas, where supporters gathered to welcome her. Her return puts a prominent opposition figure back inside the country as negotiations over Venezuela’s political future continue.
A changed political landscape
Machado left Venezuela in December 2025 to receive the Nobel Peace Prize after spending months in hiding. She had been barred from contesting the disputed 2024 presidential election against Nicolás Maduro.
She returns to a country governed by Maduro’s former deputy, Rodríguez, following his capture by US forces in January. Rodríguez has promised elections without announcing a timetable, while Machado’s Vente Venezuela movement is pressing for a vote in 2027.
Washington backs the interim leadership
US President Donald Trump said he knew nothing about Machado’s return and reiterated his support for Rodríguez. Secretary of State Marco Rubio linked her safe arrival to reconciliation talks that have enabled political prisoners’ release and opposition figures’ return from exile.
Supporters hope Machado’s presence will accelerate negotiations on elections and changes to institutions, including the electoral authority. The welcome on the streets demonstrates her ability to mobilise supporters, but the next test is whether that support produces an agreed route to a competitive vote.
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