Venezuelan opposition leader María Machado returned to her country Tuesday, ending an exile of nearly a year, and immediately called for the reform of the electoral body to ensure that all Venezuelans can vote. Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, arrived in Caracas to a throng of supporters.
Machado stated that while elections are slated for 2027, she did not offer an exact timeline for their implementation. She described the potential transition in Venezuela's government as "irreversible, organized, pacific." Her return follows previous unsuccessful attempts to re-enter the country. Last year, Machado departed Venezuela by speedboat under darkness to travel to Norway to accept the Nobel Peace Prize.
Speaking to supporters, Machado said the single word repeated by thousands along her route into the capital was "freedom." She added, "I come to carry out a task and complete a mandate." Machado indicated she had not received an invitation to meet with President Nicolás Maduro and would not personally participate in election negotiations between opposition representatives and the government. However, she expressed hope that these talks would lead to the necessary electoral reforms.
Shortly before Machado's press conference, Rodríguez delivered a speech in a conciliatory tone. She announced she had "instructed the security agencies that no one be detained without judicial order, except in cases of flagrant commission of crimes." Rodríguez also spoke of "the doors being open" to returning exiles and emphasized dialogue and consensus-building for the country's future. Machado was in exile for nearly a year. Her ability to return to Venezuela was contingent on approval from the Trump administration.