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Venezuelan Opposition Leader Maria Corina Machado Faces Repeated Barriers to Returning Home
By Drooid · · How we work
Machado’s Repeated Attempts to Return
Machado, who has lived in exile for nine months, has made seven unsuccessful attempts to re-enter Venezuela this year, according to her party. The first effort involved a chartered boat that was cancelled hours before departure because the vessel was deemed unfit for navigation. A subsequent plan to fly to Curaçao and transfer to a speedboat was thwarted when her plane was denied landing permits. Her team says a third attempt to return by sea was also blocked. Venezuelan authorities deny that the government is preventing her return.
Nationwide Protests Call for Her Safe Return and Elections
Supporters of Machado took to the streets in Caracas and other major cities, riding motorcycles, honking horns, and waving Venezuelan flags. Activists wearing sky-blue shirts—the colour of Machado’s Vente Venezuela party—demanded her safe return and immediate presidential elections that could usher in a democratic transition. Demonstrations were also reported in Valencia, Maracaibo and Mérida.
Official Statements and Government Positions
U.S. Rubio later said he was unaware of Machado’s most recent travel attempts. Trump-administration officials deny holding her back, though they have advised on occasion that she not return for safety reasons. The current Venezuelan government, led by Delcy Rodríguez—a Maduro ally who has opened the oil sector to foreign investment and works closely with the Trump administration—has not commented directly on the specific travel incidents.
Verbatim Quotes
- “This is not a matter of parties or politics,” — Flavio Valentini, a Vente Venezuela activist in Caracas
- “We hope this transition process leads us to presidential elections and consolidates a free, democratic country that will be the main ally of the United States,” — Anthony Romero
Data & Statistics
- Exile duration: nine months.
- Unsuccessful return attempts this year: seven.
- Protest participation: hundreds of activists in Caracas; similar rallies in at least three other state capitals.