CARACAS, Venezuela
María Corina Machado, Venezuelan opposition leader and winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, announced on Sunday her return to Venezuela in the coming weeks and the holding of elections in the South American country. She stated that one of her objectives will be to prepare for another resounding electoral victory.
In a message shared on social media, the politician urged her supporters to “strengthen the unity of Venezuelans that began with the primaries,” referring to the 2023 process in which she won the elections that sought a single candidate to compete against former President Nicolás Maduro.
Interim President Delcy Rodríguez, in power since Maduro and his wife were captured in a U.S. military operation in January, warned that Machado “will have to answer” if she returns to the country.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that change in Venezuela must proceed through phases of stabilization, economic recovery, and transition. He has not indicated whether elections could be held in the short term.
The 58-year-old politician, a key figure in the Venezuelan opposition, received the Nobel Peace Prize last year for her efforts to bring about a democratic transition in Venezuela.
Rubio subsequently presented his medal to US President Donald Trump, following the military intervention that ousted Maduro, who now faces drug trafficking charges in US courts. Rubio has pleaded not guilty.
After Maduro was declared the winner of the July 2024 elections, protests erupted, triggering widespread repression. The opposition claimed to have credible evidence that the true winner was Edmundo González, who replaced Machado after she was barred from running.
