Politics · 2026-10-26 · Morning briefing

Venezuelan opposition leader María Machado returns from exile

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado returned to the country on Sunday after more than 10 months in exile. Following several previous unsuccessful attempts to re-enter, she was photographed attending Mass in Lara state before travelling in a caravan of supporters to the capital, Caracas.

Her return follows a turbulent period in which her opponent, Nicolás Maduro, was seized by US forces in January and is now jailed in New York. Machado, who won an independent presidential primary in 2023 with over 90% of the vote, had been barred from running by Maduro's government. Her ally, Edmundo González, ran in her place in a disputed 2024 election.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio attributed her safe return to US-supported reconciliation talks. Machado’s camp also thanked former president Donald Trump, to whom she had previously gifted her Nobel Peace Prize. When asked, Mr. Trump said he knew nothing of her return but hoped she was "safe", adding: "She gave me her Nobel Prize, so how can I say anything else?". The Nobel committee has stated the prize cannot be transferred.

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• Opposition leader María Corina Machado returns to Venezuela from exile
• Venezuela’s opposition leader Machado returns after months in exile, as doubts over democracy deepen
• Exiled opposition leader María Corina Machado returns to rapturous reception in Venezuela
• Venezuela opposition leader Maria Corina Machado returns to Venezuela
• “I Am Here, With You”: Venezuela’s Maria Corina Machado Returns After 10 Months In Exile

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