Opposition leader María Corina Machado returned to Caracas, Venezuela, on Sunday after nearly a year in exile.
Rallies erupted after her arrival, demanding freedom and calling to end arbitrary detention and free political prisoners.
Machado said she returned to complete her mandate and thanked the United States for a democratic transition.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez vowed no detention without a judicial warrant and said government will assess privatizing state assets.
Center
Condemnation of Oil Transfer
Opposition leader María Corina Machado returned to Caracas, Venezuela, on Sunday after nearly a year in exile.
Machado condemned a recent U.S.–Venezuela oil deal that would transfer 20 percent of Venezuela’s oil reserves to the United States, calling it non-transparent.
U.S. officials said an election should occur in 2027, with Machado pledging to aid voters.
Interim President Delcy Rodríguez affirmed elections will include international observers but gave no specific date.
Right
Pledge for Transparent Contracts
Opposition leader María Corina Machado returned to Caracas, Venezuela, on Sunday after nearly a year in exile.
The trip was presented as a personal pledge to secure transparent public contracts, stable investment, and maintain order and continuity.
Machado pledged to guarantee voting rights for all eligible Venezuelans in any future presidential election.
She thanked President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for helping remove Maduro.
Blindspot
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced that no one would be detained without a judicial warrant and said the government was pursuing reforms to end arbitrary detention and release political prisoners.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Left-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Center-leaning coverage.
History
The failed 11 April 2002 coup that ousted President Hugo Chávez for 47 hours—triggered by his dismissal of PDVSA’s board, a 150,000-person march and 19 deaths—installed business leader Pedro Carmona as interim president before mass protests restored Chávez. That episode of political detentions and foreign pressure frames today’s debate over María Corina Machado’s return and Delcy Rodríguez’s arrest warrants.
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Assessing State Asset Privatization
Opposition leader María Corina Machado returned to Caracas, Venezuela, on Sunday after nearly a year in exile.
Rallies erupted after her arrival, demanding freedom and calling to end arbitrary detention and free political prisoners.
Machado said she returned to complete her mandate and thanked the United States for a democratic transition.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez vowed no detention without a judicial warrant and said government will assess privatizing state assets.