Venezuelans Rally in Capital Cities Demanding Safe Return of Opposition Leader Maria Corina Machado and Democratic Elections

Supporters of Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado took to the streets across the country on Sunday, demanding her safe return and the holding of presidential elections to initiate a democratic transition in Venezuela. The current administration has faced widespread accusations of electoral fraud, the persecution of dissidents, and the suppression of free speech.

In the capital city of Caracas, hundreds of activists clad in sky blue shirts—representing Machado’s Vente Venezuela party—rode motorcycles and drove down the city’s main avenues, honking their horns and waving Venezuelan flags. Similar demonstrations took place in other state capitals, including Valencia, Maracaibo, and Mérida.

“This is not a matter of party politics or political factions,” stated Flavio Valentini, an activist for Vente Venezuela in Caracas, who addressed the crowd with a megaphone. “This is a movement of the people, by the people.”

Machado has spent the past nine months in exile, with multiple attempts to return to Venezuela thwarted. Opposition activists have accused the Venezuelan government of blocking her return, a claim that Venezuelan authorities have denied.

According to Machado’s party, the opposition leader made three unsuccessful attempts to return to the country on Monday night alone.

“We hope this transition process leads to presidential elections and consolidates a free, democratic country that will serve as a primary ally of the United States,” stated Anthony Romero, a leader of Vente Venezuela in the capital.

Machado, one of Venezuela’s most prominent political figures, was disqualified from running in the last presidential election by courts loyal to former President Nicolás Maduro. However, her designated stand-in candidate is widely believed to have won the election with nearly two-thirds of the vote.

Despite the alleged overwhelming victory of the opposition, Maduro claimed victory and launched a violent crackdown on protesters contesting the official results, forcing Machado and numerous other opposition leaders into hiding.

Last year, Machado fled Venezuela surreptitiously after being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her dedication to restoring democracy in the South American nation. Following a U.S. military operation that removed Maduro from power in January, Machado has remained unable to return. The current government is led by Delcy Rodríguez, a close Maduro ally who has opened Venezuela’s oil sector to foreign investment and is collaborating closely with the Trump administration.

Machado’s team announced on Monday that the opposition leader, who is currently based in Panama, attempted to return to Venezuela by sea, but the chartered boat company canceled the trip just before departure, claiming the vessel was unseaworthy. She subsequently attempted to fly to Curaçao, from where she could have taken a speedboat to Venezuela, but her aircraft was denied landing permits. In total, Machado has made seven unsuccessful attempts to return to Venezuela this year, according to her party, with some critics questioning whether the Trump administration is also involved in preventing her return.

Officials from the Trump administration have denied holding Machado back, though they have stated that on certain occasions they advised her against returning due to safety concerns.

Earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated during a news conference that Machado has “every right to enter her country whenever she wants to return.” On Wednesday, Rubio indicated he was unaware of Machado’s most recent attempts to return to the South American nation.

Rubio expressed that the United States would welcome thousands of Venezuelans returning to their homeland to reclaim the businesses they lost. The Secretary of State has long argued that before any new elections can be held, Venezuela must stabilize its economy and rebuild its key institutions, including its judiciary and electoral council.

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Associated Press writer Manuel Rueda contributed from Bogotá, Colombia.

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