Machado Returns to Venezuela, Backing Elections in 2027 and Praising Trump

María Corina Machado left Venezuela in December 2025 and returned on October 25, according to elEconomista.es. The opposition leader and Nobel peace prize winner had made several unsuccessful attempts to come home, HVG reported.

She returned to a changed political situation. Fox News described a country transformed by the U.S. ouster of Nicolás Maduro. The interim government now led by Delcy Rodríguez has Washington's backing, according to the Financial Times. That leaves Machado seeking elections while managing relations with both the government and its powerful supporter.

On October 25, Machado returned to Caracas, where thousands of cheering supporters greeted her, Deutsche Welle reported. The reception showed her ability to draw crowds after months abroad.

By October 26, she was seeking talks with Rodríguez. Euronews reported that Machado was ready to negotiate with the government and that the European Union welcomed her return and called for free and fair elections. Rodríguez criticised the spectacle surrounding the homecoming, according to Le Monde.

On October 27, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Venezuela's interim government had told Washington weeks earlier that Machado could return without interference, CBS Top Stories reported. Separately, Axios reported that Rubio warned against street protests interfering with the country's fragile democratic transition.

On October 28, Machado met more than a hundred relatives of political prisoners, alongside human rights representatives and victims of repression, according to Infobae. The meeting brought the concerns of detainees' families into her first days back.

At an October 29 news conference, Machado thanked President Donald Trump for his intervention in Venezuela and promised to make the country his strongest regional ally, ABC reported. She also called for presidential elections in 2027 and backed the U.S. transition plan, according to Times now.

The election discussion has become more specific since Machado arrived. On October 26, Mint reported that no election date had been set and that Washington was prioritising economic stability and institutional reforms. By October 29, the Financial Times World reported that Washington had outlined an election timetable, while Il Post reported Machado's statement that presidential elections would take place by 2027.

Those reports establish a proposed timeframe, not a completed transition. Rodríguez remains in office with Trump's backing, according to NPR. Machado must also reassert her leadership of the opposition after her absence, as Bloomberg reported, while maintaining the U.S. relationship she publicly praised.

The next test is whether the 2027 election timeframe produces a firm date and arrangements for a free and fair vote. Machado had previously said she wanted to run for president if elections were held, according to HVG.

A meeting with Rodríguez would be another concrete step, but the supplied coverage reports Machado's willingness to talk, not a confirmed meeting. Her proposed nationwide tour to demand elections, reported by ABC, will also test how she combines public mobilisation with Rubio's warning about street protests.