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María Corina Machado’s return to Venezuela was marked by supporters lining the roads from the western state of Lara to Caracas, a stark contrast with her departure 10 months earlier, according to BBC World.
The opposition leader left the country at night in December to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo. She had been unable to return until now, after repeated obstacles from the Venezuelan government and the Trump administration, which had said the “time wasn’t right”.
“María Corina is the indisputable leader of Venezuela,” said Gregory Noriega, 20, who wore a sweatshirt bearing the logo of the opposition movement “Vente Venezuela”. He said her return represented hope.
Hilary, 18, said the return was a step forward in an electoral process supporters had been waiting for since last year. Her friend Manuel said Venezuela needed Machado after what he called the “double earthquakes”, adding that the country was behind her and no longer afraid.
Venezuela’s government and ties with Washington have changed
Much has changed since Machado left. Former President Nicolás Maduro was removed from power by US troops on 3 January and taken to New York, where he faces charges related to drugs, weapons and torture. He has pleaded not guilty.
Maduro was replaced by his former vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez, whose government has taken a sharply different approach to Washington from the mutual hostility of the administrations of Hugo Chávez and Maduro.
When Machado left, she was widely seen as Washington’s preferred alternative to Maduro. She has returned to find the Trump administration content with Rodríguez, at least for now.
The Trump administration recently signed a major oil deal with Venezuela that gives the US a 100-year concession over 65bn barrels of Venezuelan crude oil. The agreement was reached with North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP), a Venezuelan private company run by businessman Alejandro Betancourt.
Machado has criticised the agreement reached by Rodríguez’s government, directing her comments at Caracas and Betancourt rather than President Donald Trump, whose trust and support she seeks. Trump has praised Rodríguez, calling her “wonderful” and “a terrific person”. He previously described the administration she served as being made up of “narco-communists”.
Machado’s return could strengthen opposition mobilisation
Political analyst Benigno Alarcón said the crowds welcoming Machado showed she still had significant support. In his view, her return was the most significant political event since 3 January and meant the country’s most important political leader was back in Venezuela.
Alarcón said the reception demonstrated that Machado’s ability to mobilise supporters remained intact, giving the opposition a leader present in the country rather than solely in exile. He said the public and opposition appeared more emboldened since 3 January.
A joint study by the political think tanks Polis and Nexo found that Venezuela had three times as many street protests in the first nine months of this year as in all of 2025. Demonstrations addressed issues including politics, working conditions and water supply. The study also found evidence that the repression of protests had fallen by more than half.
Machado’s return comes amid broader talks brokered by Washington between the Venezuelan government and opposition on a negotiated political solution. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said her “safe return” was “the direct result of the US-supported reconciliation talks”.
Machado still faces charges in Venezuela ranging from treason to conspiracy to incite an insurrection. She and her supporters have long dismissed the charges as politically motivated and baseless.
Before the Trump administration gave her the green light, Machado made at least eight attempts to return by air and sea. Rodríguez called her return a “show”; state television did not cover the cross-country event, which supporters livestreamed over the weekend. Rodríguez has also indicated she may be willing to hold talks with Machado.
Trump has praised Rodríguez but has also made clear that Washington expects her to comply on key issues, including energy. Some reports have suggested that major decisions in the oil-rich country are largely being directed by Rubio through regular WhatsApp calls to the interim president.
Young supporters in Caracas said their fear of criticising the government or demanding change was fading. They described Machado’s return as an irreversible political transition, one they had found difficult to imagine when she left for Oslo a year earlier.
Vanessa Silva reported from Caracas.
