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María Corina Machado Plans Return to Venezuela With US Coordination

Opposition leader says her return is tied to a US-backed transition plan aimed at political change and reconstruction by 2026

Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado said she will coordinate her return to Venezuela with the United States as part of an effort to reinforce a three-phase plan already set in motion by Washington following the capture of Nicolás Maduro.

Speaking at a press conference in Panama, Machado said the objective of her return is to support and strengthen what she described as a structured roadmap presented by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

“It is clear that my return has a purpose: to support and strengthen the plan presented by the Secretary of State in its three phases and prepare for the fourth phase,” she said. “That is ours, the reconstruction of our country.”

Machado added that the timeline for the process is expected to extend into 2026.

The opposition leader, who remains one of the most prominent critics of Maduro, said US President Donald Trump understands that a “free Venezuela” would represent a reliable long-term ally. She contrasted this with what she described as the current interim government led by Delcy Rodríguez, which she said provides only “circumstantial and false” support.

Machado also reiterated her intention to run in future presidential elections, which she described as “free and transparent.”

“I will run, but there will be other names as well. We will have free and transparent elections,” she said.

Looking ahead to those elections, she stressed that the most urgent priority would be the appointment of a National Electoral Council that meets constitutional standards, composed of credible figures without political affiliation.

“That is the first step, and it is clear that we also need conditions of civic freedom and freedom of movement,” she added.

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