Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado returns from exile to cheering crowds

María Corina Machado, the leader of Venezuela's opposition, returned to the country on Sunday, 25 October, after about ten months abroad, mostly in Panama and the United States, CNN reported. She first appeared at a church in Lara state, then travelled in a caravan through five states to Caracas, where hundreds of supporters surrounded her car.

How she entered the country is unclear. The New York Times, citing two government officials, reported that she crossed from Colombia.

Open to talks

Her spokesperson, Claudia Macero, said Machado is "willing to sit down not only with Delcy (Rodríguez), but with whoever she needs to sit down with, before the country, with full transparency and with an agenda," Euronews reported. As of Monday, no meeting had been arranged.

Rodríguez, who has led Venezuela as interim president since US forces captured former leader Nicolás Maduro in January, called the return a "show" and a "spectacle". She also said she hoped the ongoing national dialogue would make room for all "voices of good".

International reaction

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X that "the United States expects the freedoms of all sectors of Venezuelan politics to continue to be respected." The European Union welcomed her return and called for a Venezuelan-led dialogue leading to free and fair elections. Both Rodríguez and Washington have said elections will be held, but no date has been set.