Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has returned to her homeland after more than ten months abroad. Her return became known on 25 October; the politician herself announced it on social media, writing: "I am here, with you."
Machado left Venezuela at the end of 2025 to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in person. The country's authorities had barred her from leaving, so she left the country covertly. Before that, the opposition figure had spent more than a year mostly in hiding inside Venezuela, fearing arrest.
According to media reports, Machado's return was arranged with the involvement of the governments of the United States, Panama and Colombia. She flew by private plane from Panama to Colombia, after which she crossed the land border into Venezuela.
Her return was confirmed by Edmundo González, Machado's ally and the former opposition presidential candidate. It was also reported that the politician appeared at a mass in the western state of Lara.
Machado's return came as a surprise amid the continuing political tension in Venezuela. According to those close to her, she had tried several times before to return to the country, but all attempts had fallen through. The exact place where Machado is now and her further plans have not yet been publicly disclosed.
