Machado returns to Venezuela, increasing pressure for elections

Machado returns to Venezuela, increasing pressure for elections

Posted on 10/25/2026, 3:03 PM AST | Updated on 10/25/2026, 3:03 PM AST

CARACAS — Opposition leader María Corina Machado announced her return to Venezuela after nearly a year abroad. Her return increases pressure to hold new elections, for which no date has been set.

Machado, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner, received a warm welcome. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio attributed her return to reconciliation talks involving the United States. Fellow opposition leader Edmundo González said he would join her soon.