Story perspectives

Machado’s Three Venezuela Return Attempts Fail in 24 Hours

By Drooid · Sep 23, 2026, 10:36 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

María Corina Machado attempted three return trips from Panama to Venezuela within 24 hours, all of which failed.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez met U.S. President Donald Trump in New York during the UN General Assembly.
President Trump said he does not oppose María Corina Machado’s return to Venezuela.
The Trump administration eased sanctions and signed a major oil agreement with Rodríguez’s government.

History

Historical Context

U.S. sanctions on PDVSA began in August 2017, banning Venezuelan bond trades, and escalated on 28 January 2019 when $7 billion of assets were frozen and losses were projected above $11 billion. The measures slashed oil revenue, prompting Acting President Delcy Rodríguez to meet Donald Trump at the UN to negotiate an oil pact that could lift sanctions and restore PDVSA’s roughly $10 billion annual earnings.

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Story summary

María Corina Machado attempted three return trips from Panama to Venezuela within 24 hours, all of which failed.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez met U.S. President Donald Trump in New York during the UN General Assembly.
President Trump said he does not oppose María Corina Machado’s return to Venezuela.
The Trump administration eased sanctions and signed a major oil agreement with Rodríguez’s government.

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