María Corina Machado returns to Venezuela after months in exile
publishers 84articles 100first reported 25 Oct, 16:03 UTCdeveloping since 25 Oct · 8 editionstop 25 #4
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado returned to the country on Sunday after more than 10 months in exile, appearing first at a church in the western state of Lara before traveling to Caracas amid large crowds of supporters.
“I am here. With you,” Machado wrote on X. Photos and video showed supporters greeting her at the Santa Rosa church in Barquisimeto. Thousands later lined highways and streets, waving Venezuelan flags and chanting as her convoy approached the capital.
Machado left Venezuela in December 2025 to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo after spending months in hiding. Her party said she had since made at least seven unsuccessful attempts to return, but did not disclose how she entered the country on Sunday. Two Venezuelan exiles told AFP that she crossed from Colombia, an account Colombian authorities had not confirmed.
Her return follows the U.S. capture of former President Nicolás Maduro and the installation of his former deputy, Delcy Rodríguez, as interim president with Washington’s support. Rodríguez’s government has promised elections but has not announced a date. Machado recently urged Venezuelans to demonstrate and called for a presidential election timetable.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said U.S.-supported reconciliation talks created the conditions for Machado’s safe return and urged political leaders to support the process. President Donald Trump told reporters he had not known about her return and said he hoped she was safe.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 5 with the publisher's own text; 8 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 24 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
- 84
- Source articles
- 100
- Given to the writer
- 8, 5 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 8
- This version written
- 24 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and published it as written.
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