Venezuelan opposition leader María Machado returns after months in exile

María Corina Machado returned to Venezuela after over 10 months in exile."I am here. With you," Machado wrote on X.

Edmundo González confirmed her arrival and said she will guide the country toward freedom.

She attended Mass in Lara with supporters.Machado won an independent opposition primary in 2023 but was barred from running amid fraud and tax charges she calls politically motivated.

A spokesperson called her return "a major step toward a democratic transition and free, fair, and verifiable presidential elections in the near future".

They thanked President Donald Trump, Marco Rubio and US allies for their support.