‘Welcome home’ - Thousands cheer Maria Corina Machado's return to Venezuela
Key Takeaways
- Thousands welcome the opposition leader to Caracas after nearly 10 months abroad.
- Supporters call for a presidential vote as Machado's movement pushes for elections by July 2027.
- Interim President Delcy Rodriguez has not announced an election date.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner returns to Caracas after nearly 10 months abroad, drawing thousands of supporters demanding fresh presidential elections.
"Maria Corina Machado, she is our leader, our next president, and that is why I am here, to welcome her with love, thanking God that she is with us once again, to lead us. Now is when the road truly begins. Now is when we really have to work," said supporter Edelma Lopez.
Thousands of Venezuelans gathered in Caracas on Sunday to welcome opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado, who returned home after nearly 10 months abroad.
Machado greeted supporters from a vehicle travelling along the Valle-Coche highway, waving a Venezuelan flag, shaking hands and blowing kisses to the crowds.
People waved national flags, sounded vuvuzelas and recorded her arrival on their mobile phones.
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Some supporters had gathered in the Santa Monica area more than five hours before her arrival. Others chanted 'Freedom' and 'Out with Delcy', while several carried signs reading 'Welcome home! Leader'.
The opposition leader left Venezuela in December 2025 after spending months in hiding. She subsequently travelled to Norway following her Nobel Peace Prize win.
According to her team, Machado had made seven unsuccessful attempts to return to Venezuela before arriving on Sunday.
Her return has also renewed demands for presidential elections, with supporters calling for a new vote.
"What we want here are presidential elections, here we want a free and prosperous country, and the only one who can give us that is named María Corina Machado," supporter Jack Azuaje said.
Another supporter, Pedro Paredes, expressed hope that Machado's return would strengthen the opposition's campaign for political change.
"Hand in hand with her, who has fervently driven this feeling that all we Venezuelans share to conquer true democracy and finally end this regime that has caused so much harm to us Venezuelans," he added.
Machado and her political allies are pushing for presidential elections by July 2027, hoping she will be able to contest after being barred from participating in the disputed 2024 vote.
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Her opposition movement is also preparing a voter registration campaign that will include Venezuelans living abroad.
Venezuela has been governed by interim President Delcy Rodriguez since US forces captured former President Nicolas Maduro in January 2026.
Although the interim authorities have indicated that elections will take place, they have not announced a date.
Rodriguez maintains that Venezuelans should determine when the country is ready to hold elections.
Washington, meanwhile, has prioritised economic stabilisation and institutional reforms before a new presidential vote.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
