Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado returned from exile on Sunday, October 25, making a surprise appearance at a church near Barquisimeto, where supporters welcomed her with applause.
Machado had fled the country in December 2025 after months in hiding following the disputed 2024 presidential election and the government’s crackdown on opposition activists.
Her return comes nearly ten months after US forces captured former President Nicolás Maduro and removed him from power. However, his former vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez, remains acting president, although the initial 90-day period and the possible 90-day extension have both elapsed without a new election being called.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio credited US-backed reconciliation talks with enabling Machado’s safe return. Yet her opposition movement continues to demand a presidential election as a concrete step towards a democratic transition.
References:
Garcia Cano, R., Coto, D., & Cubillos, A. (2026, October 26). Venezuela’s opposition leader Machado returns after months in exile, as doubts over democracy deepen. AP News.
https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-maria-corina-machado-return-democracy-maduro-e6eff0c2ff962fd9b0f87270b24ef567
Caracas Chronicles. (2026, October 25). María Corina is back.
https://www.caracaschronicles.com/2026/10/25/maria-corina-is-back/
Voice of America. (2019, January 23). María C. Machado heading the protest [Photograph]. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mar%C3%ADa_C._Machado_heading_the_protest.jpg
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