Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado returned to Venezuela on Oct. 25 as Washington pressed for institutional reforms before a vote, while the interim government had yet to set an election date.
Machado left the country in December 2025 to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in Norway. Her return came during transition talks under interim President Delcy Rodríguez; CNA reported that earlier discussions had taken place without Machado.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Oct. 26 that Washington had urged Venezuela’s interim authorities weeks earlier to permit Machado’s return. He said Venezuelan officials told the United States she could return by air, and Washington passed that information to her team.
Rubio put changes to Venezuela’s electoral system and other institutions ahead of an election. He cited U.S. sanctions waivers and licenses for economic activity as sources of leverage in the transition. CNA and CBS News have reported that authorities promised elections but have not announced a timetable; Rubio did not give a date in his Oct. 26 remarks.
Machado spokesperson Claudia Macero told Union Radio that Machado was willing to meet Rodríguez or others publicly and with an agenda, CNA reported. No meeting has been announced.
In an August interview with The Wall Street Journal, Machado said she wanted to strengthen her political base after it brought voters out in 2024 and advocate for a presidential vote in 2027. Hindustan Times republished the interview; the 2027 timing is Machado’s stated aim, not an official election schedule. EconoTimes previously covered the Nobel Committee’s view that Machado’s return could bolster Venezuela’s opposition.
