Nobel laureate Maria Corina Machado has been living in exile, with her plans to return to Venezuela repeatedly thwarted.
Published On 28 Sep 2026
Hundreds of supporters of Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado have taken to the streets, demanding her safe return and presidential elections that could pave the way for a democratic transition.
In Caracas, hundreds of activists wearing sky blue shirts—the signature color of Machado’s Vente Venezuela party—rode motorcycles through the capital’s main avenues on Sunday, honking horns and waving Venezuelan flags. Similar demonstrations were held in state capitals, including Valencia, Maracaibo, and Merida.
“This is not a matter of parties or politics,” said Flavio Valentini, a Vente Venezuela activist in Caracas who seized a megaphone to address the crowd. “This is a movement for the people and by the people.”
Machado has been living in exile for the past nine months, with her plans to return to Venezuela repeatedly thwarted. Opposition activists accuse Venezuela’s government of blocking her return, a claim the authorities deny. Machado’s party stated that on Monday night, the opposition leader made three unsuccessful attempts to return.
“We hope this transition process leads us to presidential elections and consolidates a free, democratic country that will be a key ally of the United States,” said Anthony Romero, a Vente Venezuela leader, in the nation’s capital.
The government has been widely accused of stealing elections, jailing dissidents, and stifling freedom of speech. However, late last week, Venezuela released more than three dozen political prisoners following a second round of US-backed talks between the interim government and the opposition.
Machado, one of Venezuela’s most popular political leaders, was barred from running in the last presidential election by courts controlled by former President Nicolas Maduro. However, her stand-in candidate is widely believed to have won the election with nearly two-thirds of the vote.
Maduro claimed victory regardless and unleashed a violent crackdown against dissidents protesting the official results, forcing Machado and dozens of opposition leaders into hiding. Machado smuggled herself out of Venezuela last year after being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to restore democracy.
US special forces abducted Maduro from his Caracas home in January, yet Machado has been unable to return to Venezuela since.
The government is now led by Delcy Rodriguez, a Maduro ally who has opened Venezuela’s oil industry to foreign investment and is working closely with the administration of US President Donald Trump.
Rodriguez told the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Wednesday that Venezuela would hold elections as part of a transition to “full democracy,” but did not provide a date for the vote.
