Machado returns to Venezuela after ten months in exile, thanking Trump and calling for elections

Summary

María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader, returned to Venezuela after ten months in exile and held a press conference in Caracas. She thanked the Trump administration, saying the US capture of Nicolas Maduro had 'opened the floodgate to freedom.' Financial Times reported that she praised the US president and secretary of state after Washington set out a timetable for elections. The New York Times reported that she called for elections next year and said her return was organized by her team, not by any government.

Timeline

1. Channel NewsAsia

   29 Oct 2026, 18:36 UTCSource ↗

   Channel NewsAsia reports that at a press conference shortly after her return, Machado thanked the Trump administration, saying the US capture of Maduro had 'opened the floodgate to freedom.'

2. Financial Times

   29 Oct 2026, 18:59 UTCSource ↗

   The Financial Times reports that Machado praised the US president and secretary of state on her return from exile, after Washington set out a timetable for elections.

3. The New York Times

   29 Oct 2026, 22:28 UTCSource ↗

   The New York Times reports that, finally home in Caracas, Machado called for elections next year and said her return was organized by her team, not any government.