Venezuela's Machado Returns, Crowds Cheer Her Arrival

Caracas, October 26: Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has returned to Venezuela after an exile lasting more than 10 months. Large crowds gave her a warm welcome, and she said the day would stay with the nation for years to come.

Machado posted several videos on X showing supporters gathered around her car as she greeted them. Venezuelan flags were waved, celebratory music filled the air, and the atmosphere was charged with excitement.

Speaking to the crowd, Machado said, "This day will be remembered by everyone. We will win our freedom together."

She later announced that she had reached Caracas. Crowds in the capital also gathered in large numbers and followed her convoy. People stood on overpasses and along highways to see her, and camera flashes from phones were visible across the city well into the night.

Machado rose to prominence for her persistent campaign for democracy in Venezuela. She confronted former dictator Nicolás Maduro, who is no longer in power. After the disputed 2024 presidential election, in which government-controlled election officials named Maduro the winner and allowed him to remain in office, Machado spent most of her time in hiding. In January, U.S. special forces conducted an operation that led to his capture.

Her homecoming has raised questions about what lies ahead for Venezuela's government. Negotiations mediated by the United States are underway as the country looks toward democracy, but Machado has not been included in these talks so far.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he was unaware of her return and expressed hope that she was safe. "I don't know anything about it, but I think she is a very nice woman. She gave me her Nobel Prize, so how can I say anything else about her? I hope she is safe."

In December, Machado traveled to Norway, where she was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize for promoting democratic rights in her country.