Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado has returned to Venezuela after spending more than 10 months in exile, following growing public demands for free and transparent elections.
Machado announced her return on Sunday through social media, writing, “I am here. With you.”
Edmundo Gonzalez, the opposition figure recognised as the current opposition leader in the report, confirmed her arrival in Venezuela, describing Machado as a key leader of the opposition movement.
The political organisation Comando Con Venezuela also released footage showing Machado arriving at a church in Lara State, where she was welcomed by supporters.
Machado disappeared from public view after being briefly arrested in January 2025. She reappeared in Norway in December of the same year, where she received the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her efforts to challenge the government of former President Nicolas Maduro.
Maduro was removed from Caracas by the United States military in January 2026. Since then, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has served as acting president with the backing of US President Donald Trump.
Rodriguez has cooperated with the Trump administration on proposed reforms and an agreement concerning US control of Venezuela's oil reserves, estimated at more than 65 billion barrels.
Growing Pressure for Elections
Rodriguez's tenure as acting president has extended beyond the 90-day period she was initially authorised to serve following Maduro's removal. However, she has yet to announce an election date, despite promising at the United Nations General Assembly in September that elections would be held.
The United States has maintained that Venezuela is not yet ready for an election.
Earlier this week, thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets in the country's first nationwide opposition protest in nearly two years, demanding free and transparent presidential elections.
Although the opposition is widely believed to have won Venezuela's disputed 2024 presidential election, Trump has previously questioned Machado's level of support within the country.
During a visit to the White House earlier this year, Machado presented Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize medal, describing the gesture as recognition of his commitment to Venezuelan freedom. Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to receive the Nobel Peace Prize himself.
US Welcomes Conditions for Her Return
Machado had previously made unsuccessful attempts to return to Venezuela. In September, her team reported that she had made seven attempts to enter the country within a few weeks.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Machado's safe return was made possible by US-supported reconciliation talks, which he said had resulted in the release of hundreds of political prisoners and the return of hundreds of opposition figures from exile.
Commenting on Machado's return on Sunday, Trump told reporters that he was unaware of the development but described her as a very nice woman.
He added that he hoped she would remain safe, noting that she had given him her Nobel Peace Prize medal.
Machado's return comes amid mounting pressure on Venezuela's interim leadership to establish an election timetable and respond to demands for a democratic transition.
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