Venezuelan opposition leader Machado returns after months of hiding

María Corina Machado returned to Venezuela on October 25 to force a decision on the date of the next presidential election. She had been in hiding for more than ten months, but she is now back in Caracas to push for a democratic transition and new votes.

The opposition leader entered the country on Sunday after seven previous attempts were blocked by the government. She used an independent operation to cross the border and first appeared in public at the Church of Santa Rosa in Lara state. From there, she led an eleven-hour car caravan through the central states of Venezuela. Thousands of supporters joined the convoy before it reached the capital.

Machado held her first press conference since returning at the Andres Bello Catholic University in Caracas on Thursday, October 29. She is a 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. She stated that her goal is to mobilize society and bring together all political and civil groups to build a new republic.

She said, "I have come back to finish a task and fulfill a mandate." She argued that her return forced the Chavista government to address the timing of the elections publicly. She referred to a previous message from Delcy Rodriguez and noted that international guidelines suggest the presidential office should be filled by 2027.

Machado supported the roadmap laid out by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for holding elections within that timeframe. She claimed that pressure from Washington caused a fundamental change in the political landscape. She also said the government of Delcy Rodriguez is following instructions from the White House regarding institutional reforms and election deadlines.

The Venezuelan leader thanked President Donald Trump and Rubio for their actions on January 3. She said their efforts opened a path to freedom. She predicted Venezuela will become the greatest ally the United States has ever had in the region. She affirmed that the administration's three-phase plan is moving forward.

However, she raised objections to an oil agreement signed in August. The deal gives the company NABEP control over roughly 20 percent of Venezuela's oil reserves. That amount equals about 65 billion barrels. This agreement created tension in her discussion of the bilateral relationship. She supported the electoral route but kept her questions about the handling of the country's oil resources.

The central items on her agenda are now a specific election date and the institutional changes required for that process. She intends to use her presence in the country to keep these issues at the forefront of the political debate.