Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado returned to Caracas on Sunday after nearly a year of exile.
Edmundo González, a prominent opposition figure, announced her arrival on X, echoing Machado’s cryptic post, "I am here. With you," which had sparked speculation among her followers.
The former presidential candidate, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025, had lived abroad since the January U.S. military operation that ousted President Nicolás Maduro, who was subsequently taken to Washington for federal charges.
Supporters flooded the streets of Caracas, while displaced families, including 45‑year‑old Ana Maria, who fled to Colombia, cheered her return as a potential turning point.
With Maduro in U.S. custody and interim president Delcy Rodríguez in power, Machado’s presence could accelerate a push for democratic elections—a step Trump earlier dismissed as "too soon." She plans to convene with opposition parties and negotiate a roadmap to elections, with a parliamentary vote slated for early next month.