The opposition leader herself announced this on Platform X.
"I'm here. With you," Machado wrote on Sunday.
Former presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia shared the post and wrote that they would see each other “very soon”:
"Venezuela! I am very happy to announce that our leader, my beloved María Corina, is on Venezuelan soil."
Later that day, Machado entered a church in Barquisimeto, west of the capital, Caracas.
“A miracle”
Those gathered at the church applauded, shook her hand and hugged her, holding up their cell phones to capture her return.
“María! María!” someone shouted, while a man yelled:
Long live freedom, damn it!
One woman wiped away her tears and called the whole thing “a miracle.”
Machado, along with her allies, has demanded a date for a presidential election in Venezuela, but US officials have stressed that economic stability in the country is needed first.
María Corina Machado was elected leader of Venezuela's unified opposition groups in October, increasing pressure on the regime in Caracas to allow her to return to her homeland.
Rubio: With the support of the United States
Since she managed to sneak out of the country in connection with her Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony in Oslo at the end of 2025, Venezuela has not allowed her to return. According to Machado's party, she has tried to return at least seven times.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on social media on Sunday that Machado's "safe return to Venezuela is a direct result of the reconciliation talks supported by the US."
She gave the Nobel Peace Prize to US President Donald Trump, prompting strong reactions around the world.
In January 2026, the United States captured and deposed long-time president Nicolás Maduro.
His then-vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, was allowed to remain in office and serve as interim leader.
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