Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado made returned to her home country on Sunday after nearly a year abroad, re-entering a political landscape transformed by the U.S. ouster of Nicolás Maduro.
asserted
Machado → return → Maduro
With you all," Machado wrote on social media, announcing her return for the first time since December.
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Machado → write → December
Her homecoming comes as Venezuela remains under the leadership of acting President Delcy Rodríguez, a longtime Maduro ally backed by the Trump administration, with no presidential election scheduled.
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election → come → administration
President Donald Trump, asked about Machado's return by reporters in Port Huron, Michigan, said he was unaware of the development but expressed hope for her safety.
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he → ask → safety
"I don't know anything about it, but I think she's a very nice woman," Trump said.
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Trump → know → it
"She gave me her Nobel Prize.
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She → give → Prize
So how can I say anything else?
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I → say → anything
And I hope she's safe.
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she → hope → ?
But we're doing really well in Venezuela."
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we → do → Venezuela
Machado, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025 for her peaceful opposition to Maduro's government, did not disclose her exact location or provide details about how she returned.
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she → award → details
Fellow opposition leader Edmundo González, who ran for president in 2024 after Machado was barred from seeking office, confirmed her arrival on social media and said he would join her "very soon."
"Today is a very important day for Venezuelans.
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Today → run → Venezuelans
Our sovereign voice returns with her to lead and guide this process!" González wrote on X. "You know it, this is until the end."
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this → return → end
Machado's return comes nearly 10 months after U.S. forces captured Maduro in January, removing the longtime leader from power.
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forces → come → power
Rodríguez, Maduro's former vice president, has remained in power with the Trump administration's support, despite exceeding the period she was initially authorized to serve as acting president.
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she → remain → president
Trump has repeatedly praised his administration's relationship with Rodríguez, highlighting agreements involving Venezuelan oil production and other business ventures with American companies.
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Trump → praise → companies
In September, Trump said it was too soon to consider holding democratic elections in Venezuela, with U.S. officials prioritizing economic stabilization.
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officials → say → stabilization
Machado and her allies, meanwhile, have pushed for an election date, arguing that democratic governance is essential to the country's long-term stability.
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governance → push → stability
Her return could complicate relations between the Venezuelan opposition, the interim government and Washington.
uncertain
return → complicate → opposition
Reuters reported in June that U.S. officials had asked Machado to delay her return.
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officials → report → return
Machado spent much of 2025 in hiding after being briefly detained following an opposition protest that January.
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Machado → spend → protest
She later secretly left Venezuela and resurfaced in Norway in December to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
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She → leave → Prize
Meanwhile, a faction of the Venezuelan opposition and Rodríguez's government held another round of talks this month focused on reforms to the country's Supreme Court and electoral authorities ahead of eventual elections, Reuters reported.
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Reuters → hold → elections
Machado's political movement has not participated in those negotiations.
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movement → participate → negotiations
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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Press → contribute → report
The Aporia
