Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado returned to Venezuela on Sunday after over 10 months in exile, according to announcements she and her ally Edmundo González made on X. Machado was photographed attending Mass in the state of Lara, surrounded by supporters.
Machado left Venezuela in January to accept the Nobel Peace Prize in Norway. That same month, the US seized President Nicolás Maduro. The Trump administration then backed Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro's deputy, as leader. Rodríguez was sworn in as interim president and later signed an oil deal with the US.
An advisor to Machado said in September that she had attempted to return to Venezuela seven times over the previous weeks but was denied entry each time.
Her spokesperson, David Smolansky, told CBS News that Machado's return represents "a major step toward a democratic transition and free, fair, and verifiable presidential elections in the near future." He also thanked "President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the US Government, Congress, and allied governments for their continued leadership and support."
It remains unclear what Machado plans to do next. She has previously said she would run for president again if an election were held. In 2023, Machado won an independent presidential primary held outside the Maduro government's official election authority, earning more than 90% of the vote. Maduro's government barred her from running for office, accusing her of fraud and tax violations. Machado denied the allegations, calling them politically motivated.
In the 2024 election, González ran in Machado's place. The electoral authority, which is closely aligned with the government, declared Maduro the winner without releasing detailed voting tallies. The opposition argued González won and uploaded copies of voting tallies as evidence.
González said he will soon join Machado in Venezuela to advance the country "toward freedom."