María Corina Machado says she returned to Venezuela after nearly 10 months abroad.
Why it matters: Machado is the Venezuelan opposition’s most prominent anti-government figure and had been outside the country since December 2025. Her return could affect opposition strategy and U.S.-backed reconciliation efforts.
- Machado announced her return on October 25, 2026, writing on X: "Estoy aquí. Con ustedes".
- Her team released images of her at two religious sites in Barquisimeto, Lara state.
- Machado left Venezuela clandestinely in December 2025 after a period in hiding and later traveled to Norway to receive the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio said U.S.-supported talks helped create conditions for her return and produced prisoner releases and opposition figures’ returns from exile.
María Corina Machado said on October 25 that she had returned to Venezuela after leaving the country in December 2025, a period of roughly 10 months. Her ally Edmundo González Urrutia separately said she was on Venezuelan territory. Machado announced the return in a brief post on X: "Estoy aquí. Con ustedes" - "I am here. With you."
Images released by Machado’s team showed her at the Santa Rosa church and the Sanctuary of Divina Pastora in Barquisimeto, Lara state, surrounded by supporters. Those images and statements support her account of returning, but her physical presence was not independently verified in the available reporting. Her location after the appearances was unclear, and the circumstances and route of her entry were not publicly disclosed.
Machado had spent time in hiding before leaving Venezuela clandestinely in December 2025, according to the reporting on her return. She later traveled to Norway to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee characterized its award as recognition for promoting democratic rights in Venezuela and seeking a peaceful transition from authoritarian rule.
Machado won the opposition’s October 2023 primary but was barred by the government from the 2024 presidential race. She then backed González Urrutia. Rubio said the conditions for Machado’s safe return resulted from U.S.-supported reconciliation talks, which he said also produced releases of political prisoners and the return of opposition figures from exile.
By the numbers
- Nearly 10 months - Approximate time between Machado’s December 2025 departure and her October 25, 2026 return announcement.
- 2025 - Year Machado received the Nobel Peace Prize.
- October 2023 - Month Machado won the opposition primary.
Yes, but: Machado’s return was supported by her own announcement, statements from an ally and images released by her team, but independent verification of her physical presence was not available in the reporting.