In brief
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has returned after over a year of exile, greeted by cheering crowds in Caracas and the Lara state church. The historic return follows failed attempts to re‑enter the country and comes after the U.S. froze assets on President Nicolás Maduro. Machado’s arrival represents a hopeful turn in the country’s democratic struggle, as she now walks through the streets with supporters. The moment comes against a tense backdrop, including prior U.S. sanctions and the recent swearing‑in of Vice‑President Delcy Rodríguez as interim president. Machado’s homecoming has been hailed as a symbolic victory for Venezuela’s opposition movement.
Venezuela’s Maria Machado Homecoming: Exile Ends, Masses Celebrate
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has returned after more than a year in exile. Her arrival was met with thunderous applause from thousands of supporters in Caracas and the Lara state church where she celebrated Mass.
On X, Machado wrote: “I am here. With you.” She followed months of failed attempts to re‑enter the country, closing the chapter of a political exile that began when she fled under cover of darkness to accept the Nobel Peace Prize in Norway.
The return comes amid a tense backdrop: the United States last January froze assets on president Nicolás Maduro, and the Trump administration had earlier backed Vice‑President Delcy Rodríguez, who was sworn in as interim president.
Now, María Machado walks through the streets of Caracas with supporters flag‑slinging under wide‑open skies, a moment that signals hope for a new chapter in Venezuela’s fight for democratic governance.
