María Corina Machado returns to Venezuela after 10 months in exile

Key takeaways

• Machado is back on Venezuelan soil for the first time since December 2025, her team confirmed.
• Supporters greeted her at a church in Lara state, in the west of the country. She posted on X: "I am here. With you."
• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio credited US-backed reconciliation talks for the conditions that allowed her return.
• Venezuelan authorities have treated Machado as a fugitive. It is not yet clear whether she will be allowed to stay free.
• No presidential election date has been set. Machado's camp says she will press for one.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado returned to Venezuela on Sunday, 25 October 2026, ending more than 10 months in exile, according to Al Jazeera and CBS News. She appeared before supporters at a church in Lara state.

What happened in Venezuela on 25 October

Machado announced her return in a short Spanish-language post on X that translates as "I am here. With you." CBS News reported that her team confirmed the trip but did not say how she got into the country or where she is now.

The Associated Press, cited by CBS News, reported that supporters crowded around her at a church in Lara state, west of Caracas. Several outlets placed the church in Barquisimeto, the state capital. Some supporters filmed the scene on their phones. The group Comando Con Venezuela shared video of her arrival, according to Al Jazeera.

Edmundo González, the opposition's 2024 presidential candidate, confirmed on social media that Machado was on Venezuelan soil. CBS News reported that he said he would join her "very soon."

The return was confirmed during Sunday daytime in the Americas. CBS News last updated its report at 18:09 UTC on 25 October.

Reaction from Washington

Rubio wrote on X on Sunday that the conditions for her return were "the direct result" of reconciliation talks supported by the United States, CBS News reported. Al Jazeera reported that Rubio pointed to the release of hundreds of political prisoners and the return of hundreds of opposition figures from exile.

President Donald Trump told reporters on Sunday that he knew nothing about the return. He called Machado "a very nice woman" and said he hoped she would be safe, according to Al Jazeera and CBS News.

What we know and what we don't know yet

The biggest open question is her legal status. CBS News reported that the government considers her a fugitive and accuses her of calling for military intervention. Earlier this year, Reuters reported that Machado was under investigation and that acting President Delcy Rodríguez said she would have to "answer to Venezuela." At the time of writing, no official statement on whether authorities will act against her had been reported.

Background: a year away from Venezuela

Machado won the opposition primary in 2023 but was barred from running. González stood in her place in the disputed July 2024 presidential election, which the opposition is widely believed to have won, according to Al Jazeera. She was briefly detained in January 2025 and then went into hiding.

In December 2025 she left the country secretly with help from a private US team to collect the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, CBS News reported. Weeks later, according to Al Jazeera, she gave her Nobel medal to Trump at the White House.

The political landscape then changed sharply. The US military seized Nicolás Maduro in Caracas in January 2026, according to Al Jazeera and AFP. Rodríguez, then vice president, became acting president with Trump's backing. Al Jazeera reported that she has cooperated with Washington on reforms and on an oil deal. It also noted that she has stayed in office well beyond the 90-day period she was authorised to serve.

Machado's attempts to come home have repeatedly failed. AFP reported that her Vente Venezuela party counted seven attempts. CBS News, citing adviser David Smolansky, reported that she was turned away three times in 24 hours in September. On 22 October, thousands marched in Caracas and other cities to demand free elections, Al Jazeera reported. It was the first nationwide opposition protest in nearly two years.

For more on US policy in the region, see our report on Trump, Cuba and Rubio's role and our coverage of the US Treasury dropping Venezuela from its outbound investment list. Related coverage is collected on the Venezuela and Marco Rubio topic pages.

What it means

Machado's presence inside the country gives the opposition its best-known figure on the ground just as pressure for an election date is growing. A top adviser said she will push for elections to replace the interim government. CBS News reported that US officials have stressed economic stabilisation before a vote.

There are three things to watch in the coming days:

• Whether the Rodríguez government acts on its earlier warnings or tolerates her presence.
• Whether she holds public rallies, and how large they are.
• Whether Washington's mediators push for a firm election timetable.

Rubio's statement ties her safety closely to the US-backed talks. Any move against her would therefore test that process directly.