Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado returned to Venezuela on Sunday, October 25, after more than 10 months abroad, and supporters celebrated as the country's political future remained uncertain.
Machado announced her arrival in a short post on X. She later appeared at a church in Lara state, where supporters cheered, embraced her and held up phones to record the moment. Her party said she left the country in December 2025 to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in Norway after spending months in hiding.
Her party also said earlier attempts to return had failed. Her return was her first public appearance in Venezuela since she left. Her return came after U.S. forces removed then-President Nicolás Maduro from power in January.
Vice President Delcy Rodríguez took over as acting president. According to the Associated Press, Rodríguez was first authorized to serve for 90 days but remains in office. The Associated Press reported that no election has been scheduled.
Machado's ally Edmundo González welcomed her return online and said he expected to join her soon. The change in leadership has left Venezuela's democratic future and the opposition's role in it unclear. Asked about Machado's return, U.S. President Donald Trump said he hoped she was safe.