Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado made returned to her home country on Sunday after nearly a year abroad, re-entering a political landscape transformed by the U.S.ouster of Nicolás Maduro."I'm here.
With you all," Machado wrote on social media, announcing her return for the first time since December.Her homecoming comes as Venezuela remains under the leadership of acting President Delcy Rodríguez, a longtime Maduro ally backed by the Trump administration, with no presidential election scheduled.President Donald Trump, asked about Machado's return by reporters in Port Huron, Michigan, said he was unaware of the development but expressed hope for her safety.TRUMP TOUTS ACCESS TO 65 BILLION BARRELS OF VENEZUELAN OIL IN DEAL HE SAYS WILL SLASH GAS PRICESVenezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado arrives at a church after returning to the country following nearly a year abroad, in Lara, Venezuela, Oct.
25, 2026.(Vente Venezuela Press/Handout via REUTERS)"I don't know anything about it, but I think she's a very nice woman," Trump said.
"She gave me her Nobel Prize.So how can I say anything else? And I hope she's safe.
She's a very nice woman.But we're doing really well in Venezuela."Machado presented the Nobel Peace Prize she won to President Trump last week.
(White House handout via Reuters)Machado, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025 for her peaceful opposition to Maduro's government, did not disclose her exact location or provide details about how she returned.Fellow opposition leader Edmundo González, who ran for president in 2024 after Machado was barred from seeking office, confirmed her arrival on social media and said he would join her "very soon.""Today is a very important day for Venezuelans.Our sovereign voice returns with her to lead and guide this process!" González wrote on X.
"You know it, this is until the end."Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado speaks during a news conference at The Heritage Found...