Ex-governor César Pérez Vivas returns to Venezuela after exile

César Pérez Vivas, former governor of Táchira state, has returned to Venezuela after 20 months in exile, becoming the latest opposition figure to re-enter the country. His arrival at Simón Bolívar International Airport near Caracas was marked by pronouncements to the media, where he declared his commitment to the "struggle for Venezuela, the struggle for freedom, the struggle for democracy, the struggle for the well-being of a people who have suffered 27 years of authoritarianism."

Pérez Vivas articulated his political objectives, emphasizing his conviction to work towards the "dismantling of tyranny." He stressed the importance of upholding the citizen mandate from the opposition primaries held on October 22, 2023, where María Corina Machado emerged victorious. Machado's subsequent disqualification prevented her from running in the 2024 elections, leading the opposition coalition to nominate Edmundo González Urrutia.

The political sector supporting Pérez Vivas considers González Urrutia the legitimate winner of the 2024 elections, questioning the official proclamation of Nicolás Maduro due to alleged lack of transparency in vote tallies. Pérez Vivas declared on Instagram, "We do not return to make pacts with the destroyers of the Republic. We come to unite the true patriots. We will confront the regime with the force of truth, the absolute support for the three-phase plan (stabilization, recovery, and transition) of President Trump, and the conviction of the prompt return of our leader and friend, María Corina Machado."

Pérez Vivas's return adds to a recent wave of opposition leaders and civil society figures re-entering Venezuela. This group includes Richard Blanco, Lester Toledo, Yon Goicoechea, Carlos Ocariz, Wilmer Azuaje, Marcos Velazco, Roberto Marrero, José Guerra, and human rights activist Rocío San Miguel. This resurgence of political leadership on the ground coincides with an increase in social movements and demands, shaping a new dynamic in Venezuelan politics.