Maria Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader, has returned to the country after more than 10 months in exile abroad amid growing demands for a new presidential election.
Foreign news agencies reported on 25 Oct 2026 that Maria Corina Machado, opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has returned to Venezuela after being exiled and blocked from returning for over 10 months.
On Sunday, Machado posted on X, “I am here now, with you,” confirming she had successfully returned to Venezuela.
Edmundo Gonzalez, former presidential candidate and Machado's political ally, confirmed the news and described it as a significant step toward the country's freedom, adding he plans to return to Venezuela soon as well.
Images showed Machado attending a mass at a church in Lara state, warmly greeted by supporters who surrounded her with hugs and handshakes.
Machado left Venezuela in December 2025 to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in Norway. In January 2026, the US detained President Nicolas Maduro, and the Donald Trump administration supported Vice President Delcy Rodriguez as interim president.
During the ensuing turmoil, Venezuelan authorities denied and blocked Machado's attempts to return. Her advisor revealed she tried seven times to re-enter Venezuela but was refused each time until her recent successful return.
In 2023, Machado won the opposition primary with over 90% of the vote, but Maduro's government disqualified her from the 2024 presidential election, accusing her of fraud, threats to security, and tax violations, all of which she denied.
Gonzalez ran in the 2024 election in her place. The election commission declared Maduro the winner, but the opposition presented evidence claiming Gonzalez was the true victor.
Machado's spokesperson stated that her return marks “a crucial step toward a democratic transition and the organization of free and fair presidential elections in the near future.”
However, the Venezuelan government has yet to set an official date for the new presidential election, leading thousands to protest across multiple cities on 22 Oct, demanding an election date, restoration of democracy from the interim government, and support for Machado's return.
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Source:bbc