Opposition leader and Nobel winner Maria Corina Machado has returned to Caracas after ten months in exile. Machado stated that her return was organized by her own team rather than any government. Upon her return, she thanked the Trump administration, asserting that the US capture of Nicolás Maduro opened the floodgate to freedom.
In her first substantive remarks since returning, Machado called for presidential elections to take place next year. She noted that the United States has suggested this timeline, which she supports. However, she also used the occasion to criticize a controversial US oil deal with Caracas.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who is backed by Trump, responded in a rare televised address, stating that Venezuela will hold elections witnessed by the international community and organized by an overhauled electoral regulator. The return of Machado presents a fresh challenge for Rodríguez's interim government and a diplomatic challenge for Washington, given Trump's support for both figures.