Venezuela’s opposition leader Machado says she will return to the country in the coming weeks

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado said on Sunday that she will return to Venezuela in the coming weeks and elections will be held in the South American country.

Machado did not set a date for his return but said one of his goals would be to prepare for “a massive new election victory.”

In a message shared on social media, the politician called on his supporters to “strengthen the unity of Venezuelans that started with the primaries,” referring to the 2023 voting process that aims to create a single candidate to compete on the ballot against former President Nicolás Maduro.

Vice President Delcy Rodriguez In power since Maduro and his wife caught He warned during a US military operation in January that Machado would “have to answer” if he returned to the country.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio He said change in Venezuela must go through phases of stabilization, economic recovery and transition. He did not indicate that an election could be held in the short term.

The 58-year-old politician, one of the important figures of the Venezuelan opposition, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year for his struggle for democratic transition in Venezuela.

Later controversially presented his medal To US President Donald Trump following the military intervention that led to the ouster of Maduro, who is currently facing drug trafficking-related charges in US courts. He pleaded not guilty.

After Maduro was declared the winner of the July 2024 elections, protests broke out, leading to widespread repression. The opposition claimed to have credible evidence that the real winner was Edmundo González, who replaced Machado after he was banned from participating.