In short
- María Corina Machado, 59, announced her return to Venezuela on X on Sunday, writing: “I’m here. With you.”
- Social media footage showed Machado at the Sanctuary of the Divine Shepherdess church in Barquisimeto, capital of Lara state, about 220 miles west of Caracas.
- Her convoy took eight hours to cover the route to Caracas because crowds blocked streets and highways, and tens of thousands of supporters greeted her there on Sunday night.
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Machado’s return was the “direct result of the US-supported reconciliation talks”, which he said had freed hundreds of political prisoners.
- Machado has called for fresh presidential elections in Venezuela to be held by July 2027.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, 59, announced on Sunday that she had returned to the country, appearing at a church in Barquisimeto before a convoy carried her to Caracas, where tens of thousands of supporters greeted her on Sunday night.
Machado wrote “I’m here. With you.” on X at lunchtime on Sunday, without saying how she had entered Venezuela. Footage circulated on social media showed her at the Sanctuary of the Divine Shepherdess church in Barquisimeto, the capital of Lara state, about 220 miles west of Caracas.
How did Venezuelans react to María Corina Machado’s return?
Video posted by her ally Pedro Urruchurtu showed hundreds of supporters gathered outside the church, chanting “Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!” After she left the church, her convoy needed eight hours to reach Caracas because crowds lined and blocked streets and highways. “This country is giving lessons to everyone,” Machado shouted as her vehicle entered the capital, leaning out of the sunroof to shake hands with supporters.
Her close ally Edmundo González, who remains in exile, confirmed the arrival. “Venezuela! I am thrilled to announce to you that our leader, my dear María Corina, is on Venezuelan soil,” he wrote on social media, adding that he would soon return as well. Machado said she had come back “for the reunion of every family, for freedom of every political prisoner, for the freedom of Venezuela”.
What has the US said about her return?
Asked by reporters on Sunday about Machado’s return, US President Donald Trump said: “I don’t know anything about it, but I think she’s a very nice woman. She gave me her Nobel prize, so how can I say anything else?” Trump added: “I hope she’s safe.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said her return “is the direct result of the US-supported reconciliation talks which has already seen hundreds of political prisoners freed and hundreds of political opposition figures return from exile”. The Guardian reported that the Trump administration had opposed the return, believing her presence would complicate relations with interim president Delcy Rodríguez, Nicolás Maduro’s former vice-president, with whom Washington reached an oil agreement Trump in August called “the biggest oil deal in world history”.
Why was Machado outside Venezuela?
Machado left Venezuela last December, weeks before Maduro was seized in a US operation she has repeatedly praised Trump for launching, in order to receive the 2025 Nobel peace prize awarded for her non-violent challenge to the government. She later gave the medal to Trump. In recent months she reportedly made more than half a dozen failed attempts to come home, including after an earthquake struck Venezuela’s northern coast in June, and her return after more than 10 months abroad ended that streak.
Members of Venezuela’s government had long hinted that Machado would be arrested if she tried to return. There was no sign of security services interfering with her journey on Sunday.
Frequently asked questions
Has María Corina Machado returned to Venezuela?
Yes. Machado announced on X in October 2026 that she was back in Venezuela, and was filmed at a church in Barquisimeto before travelling to Caracas, where tens of thousands of supporters greeted her.
Who is María Corina Machado?
María Corina Machado is a 59-year-old Venezuelan opposition leader who was awarded the 2025 Nobel peace prize for her non-violent challenge to the government. She later gave the medal to US President Donald Trump.
What did Donald Trump say about Machado’s return?
Trump told reporters he did not know about her return, calling her “a very nice woman” and saying: “I hope she’s safe.”
What does Machado want to happen next in Venezuela?
Machado has called for fresh presidential elections to be held by July 2027. It is not clear whether the Trump administration supports that timetable.
With reporting from The Guardian.
Stock image, not from the events described. Church Interior — Matt Bango / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)