Machado says 'the time has come' to return to Venezuela after earthquakes

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado declared that "the time has come" for her return to the country, stating her intention to be with her people "very soon." Machado, who has been in exile since late 2025, feels a duty to join Venezuelans in mourning the devastating earthquakes that struck the nation.

"It is my duty to accompany my people, we need to be together to embrace, to cry, to mourn together, but also to give each other mutual strength in this very difficult moment," Machado said in an interview with Fox News. The recent earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude, have claimed at least 1,450 lives, injured over 3,150 people, and left 12,721 families affected.

Machado, who previously urged her supporters for strength and unity via social media after the tremors, emphasized that the absolute priority now is saving lives and comforting those affected. Her planned return, however, faces potential obstacles. According to two unnamed U.S. administration officials cited by The New York Times, Washington views her imminent return as "inopportune" and even a "political stunt."

These officials reportedly expressed concern over Machado's safety, noting that the U.S. government has prioritized engagement with the interim government led by Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez. Machado, who reportedly gifted her Nobel Prize to President Trump, has been seeking to return to Venezuela for months, but her timing now appears to be a point of contention and concern among some U.S. officials.

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