Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has returned to her homeland after more than ten months in exile, announcing simply on social media, “I am here. With you.” She fled Venezuela by speedboat last December to accept the Nobel Peace Prize in Norway, narrowly avoiding capture by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.
Her return comes amid dramatic shifts in Venezuelan politics. In January, US forces removed Maduro from the country; he is now jailed in New York facing drug, weapons and torture charges, to which he has pleaded not guilty. The Trump administration backed Maduro’s former deputy, Delcy Rodríguez, who was installed as interim president and later signed an oil deal granting the US favorable terms.
Machado was seen attending Mass in the state of Lara, greeted warmly by supporters. Her ally, former presidential candidate Edmundo González, confirmed her arrival and said he would soon join her in Venezuela. According to aides, Machado had tried unsuccessfully to re-enter the country seven times in recent weeks, with her return reportedly requiring approval from Washington.
Machado’s spokesman called her homecoming “a major step toward a democratic transition” and thanked US officials for their support. President Trump said he was unaware of her return but wished her safety, recalling that she had given him her Nobel medal earlier this year.
Read the full BBC report for more details.
Source: Venezuelan opposition leader María Machado returns after months in exile (feeds.bbci.co.uk).
Image: White House Photographic Office (WHPO) – Schumacher.