María Corina Machado, Venezuela's most popular opposition leader, returned to her country on Sunday after nearly a year in exile. Her return is expected to put increased pressure on the authoritarian government and its interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, as well as the United States, to move quickly toward a democratic transition. At 11:31 a.m. Venezuela time, Ms. Machado wrote on X: "I am here. With you all." Her party later posted images of her at a church in the state of Lara, in western Venezuela, where supporters embraced her.
Ms. Machado has called for elections by next July and has expressed interest in running for president. She would be an extremely competitive challenger to Ms. Rodríguez, who is part of the repressive government that has run the country for a generation. Ms. Rodríguez was installed as president by the United States following the capture of President Nicolás Maduro in January. President Trump has repeatedly praised Ms. Rodríguez but has said Venezuela is not ready for elections while the United States works to extract oil and other natural resources.
Ms. Rodríguez has said Venezuela will hold an election but has declined to set a date. The United States has orchestrated talks between her government and a different part of the opposition, and the parties say they are working toward a vote. However, the participants have not given a timeline for a democratic transition. Ms. Machado's return adds uncertainty to Venezuela's already fragile political atmosphere and to the alliance between the Trump administration and Ms. Rodríguez's government.
The United States has already struck major business deals with Venezuela, including an oil agreement that Ms. Machado has criticized.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing