Venezuela’s Machado returns from exile, as doubts over democracy deepen

Caracas, Venezuela | Oct. 25, 2026, 5:05 p.m. ET | 5 min read Opposition leader and Nobel laureate María Corina Machado reappeared in Venezuela Sunday for the first time since December, returning from exile at a time when doubts about the country’s democratic future — and the role of the U.S. — are growing.It was her first appearance since the U.S. military deposed the country’s then-President Nicolás Maduro in January, replacing him with an interim president who has exceeded the time she was authorized to serve, with no election scheduled.Ms. Machado announced her arrival on social media, writing, “I am here. With you.” Another leading figure in the Venezuelan opposition, Edmundo González, wrote on X that he would be at her side “very soon.”“Today is a very important day for Venezuelans,” he wrote. “Our sovereign voice returns with her to lead and guide this process!”Maduro ally backed by the Trump administrationOn Sunday afternoon, Ms. Machado strode into a church in the state of Lara, west of Caracas, to the applause of dozens gathered there as they shook her hand and hugged her, with cellphones aloft to record her return.“María! María!” one person cried, as another shouted, “Welcome to Venezuela!” One woman wiped away tears and called it “a miracle” while another woman’s hands flew to her face as she saw Ms. Machado enter the church.“Long live freedom, damn it!” a man yelled.Ms. Machado then headed to Caracas with stops along the way.“The future of my children is in your hands. Please!” cried a man who teared up as he ran alongside her car.Asked by reporters Sunday about Ms. Machado’s return to Venezuela, U.S. President Donald Trump said, “I don’t know anything about it, but I think she’s a very nice woman. She gave me her Nobel Prize. So how can I say anything else? And I hope she’s safe. She’s a very nice woman. But we’re doing really well in Venezuela.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X Sunday that Ms. Machado’s safe return “is the direct result of the U.S. supported reconciliation talks.”“The United States expects the freedoms of all sectors of Venezuelan politics to continue to be respected. Likewise, we expect all political actors to support these talks which represent the best chance Venezuela has had in thirty years to peacefully achieve not just a free and fair election but an enduring democracy,” he wrote.In search of stabilitySecretary Rubio has argued that before holding new elections, Venezuela must stabilize its economy and rebuild its institutions, including its courts and electoral council.Brian Fonseca, a Venezuela expert and professor at Florida International University, said he thought her arrival was politically motivated when he first heard the news.“But at the same time, it’s very symbolic,” he said. “Until there’s institutional change, or institutional space for the democratic opposition, this is a symbolic gesture.”Professor Fonseca said Ms. Machado’s arrival could complicate Washington’s strategy and might be a sign of talks about elections in Venezuela. He said it remains to be seen how much latitude Ms. Machado is given and what steps she’ll take, adding that it could have consequences for the U.S. midterms. Since Mr. Maduro’s ouster, Venezuela has been run by acting President Delcy Rodríguez, a longtime Maduro ally who received the Trump administration’s blessing to succeed him.Ms. Rodríguez was initially supposed to serve only 90 days as acting president, but she has remained in office and made no move to call an election.Ms. Machado was briefly detained in January 2025, following a protest against Mr. Maduro’s planned swearing-in ceremony. She then went into hiding in Venezuela for 11 months. After making a clandestine escape from the country, she reappeared that December in Norway, where she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her peaceful challenge to Mr. Maduro’s authoritarian government.Ms. Machado and her allies have been demanding a date for a presidential election in Venezuela. But U.S. officials have emphasized economic stabilization first.Credible evidence shows the opposition wonIn October 2023, Ms. Machado won an opposition primary and intended to challenge Mr. Maduro in the 2024 presidential election. But the government barred her from running for office.Mr. González took Ms. Machado’s place on the ballot, and ample credible evidence showed that he defeated Mr. Maduro by more than a 2-to-1 margin. But the National Electoral Council, stacked with ruling-party loyalists, declared Mr. Maduro the winner.The lead-up and aftermath of the election were marked by widespread government repression, including forced disappearances, torture and other human rights violations. More than 2,000 people, including poll workers, were detained in the days after the vote. In January, the U.S. military captured Mr. Maduro in Caracas and whisked him to New York to face drug-related charges, which he has denied. Many Venezuelans were stunned by the Trump administration’s decision to work with Ms. Rodríguez, instead of Ms. Machado, to try to revitalize the crisis-racked country.Machado has demanded an election dateMs. Machado had repeatedly vowed to return to Venezuela and, according to her party, she made seven unsuccessful attempts.One of the efforts would have seen her take a charter boat, but the operator canceled the trip, alleging the vessel was unfit for navigation. In another attempt, her team said, Ms. Machado tried to fly to the Caribbean island of Curacao, from where she could take a speedboat to Venezuela, but her plane was denied landing permits.Opposition activists have accused Venezuela’s government of blocking Ms. Machado’s return, a claim denied by Venezuelan authorities. Others have also questioned whether the Trump administration has also been involved in the efforts to stop her from returning.Trump administration officials deny they are holding Ms. Machado back but have said that, on some occasions, they have advised her against returning due to safety concerns.After Mr. Maduro was deposed, Venezuela’s highest court said Ms. Rodríguez could serve as acting president for up to 90 days — an interim appointment that could be extended by the National Assembly for an additional 90 days. But the ruling party-controlled assembly never voted to extend her term. Deepen your worldviewwith Monitor Highlights.Politics with respectGet political stories with respectful analysis.There‘s a world of new ideas in everyBooks newsletter.There‘s more to life, enrich yours withCulture & Learning weekly.Follow humanity‘s discoveries withScience & Nature stories in your inbox.Gain a spiritual perspectivefrom the stories in your inbox.Want to understand the deeper impact of critical events? Learn the Monitor‘s insight.Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads. Ms. Machado and her allies have demanded that the Rodríguez government set a date for a presidential election. Ms. Rodríguez told the U.N. General Assembly in September that Venezuelans will determine the “right moment” for the next election.Supporters of Ms. Machado have held demonstrations in Caracas demanding her return. ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? 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