María Corina Machado requested US support to return to Venezuela, according to Reuters

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has reportedly sought the U.S. government's help to facilitate her return to Venezuela, a request that has allegedly caused frustration among senior U.S. officials.

According to a White House official speaking to Reuters, the timing of Machado's request, made in the wake of devastating earthquakes that have shaken Venezuela, raised concerns. "We support her return to Venezuela, but does it have to be 24 hours after a massive humanitarian catastrophe in which the death toll continues to rise?" the official questioned.

Machado, who left Venezuela in December in defiance of a decade-long travel ban to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, had been living primarily in the United States. She had previously indicated an intention to return to her country before the end of the year.

In response to the earthquakes, which registered magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, Washington has launched a recovery initiative. The State Department announced the mobilization of search and rescue teams, coordination of medical supply deliveries, and the release of $150 million in humanitarian aid.

As of Saturday, National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez reported that the death toll from the earthquakes had reached 1,430, with 3,238 injured and over 5,000 people receiving hospital care. Additionally, 12,000 medical attentions have been provided in disaster zones, and 3,142 affected families are housed in shelters.