Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado returned to the country on 25 October after more than 10 months in exile. “I am here. With you,” she wrote on X, announcing her return. Her political ally Edmundo González also confirmed that she was back, according to the BBC, The Guardian and France 24.
On Sunday, Machado appeared among supporters at a church in Barquisimeto, in Lara state. The reports do not explain how she crossed the border. González said he also intended to travel to Venezuela, but that announcement does not mean he has already returned.
Machado left Venezuela in December 2025 to collect the Nobel Peace Prize in Norway. According to France 24, citing her party, Venezuelan authorities had blocked earlier attempts to return.
A return to a changed political landscape
During the opposition leader’s absence, Venezuela underwent a fundamental change at the top of government. All three news organisations report that US forces captured Nicolás Maduro in January 2026. His deputy, Delcy Rodríguez, subsequently took over as acting president with the backing of the US administration.
Machado’s return does not, however, mean that the opposition has taken power or that an electoral timetable has been agreed. According to France 24, her political camp is calling for a date to be set for a presidential election, while US officials are prioritising economic stabilisation. At the time of reporting, no election date had been set.
